Via Negativa
by Go to my Real Account with Ter
Summary: There once was a story, about a young man born in an unusual manner and gifted for it. Then he met Slade Wilson. And it all went to hell. Sequel to ‘Children of a Lesser God’. Full summary inside. Part of the Legendverse.
1. Herrenvolk: Spitting at God's face

**Via Negativa**

_By Prisionero_

_Summary: There once was a story, about a young man born in an unusual manner and gifted for it. Like all good stories, this one had a girl whom he loved deeply, though probably not in the way you are thinking. Then he met Slade Wilson. And it all went to hell. The girl died. So did he. Years passed and he was forgotten. But now… Fate has decided his path isn't quite done yet. Sequel to '**Children of a Lesser God'**._

* * *

Night in Jump City. 

Strange… We started the last tale with the same line, didn't we? However, tonight's Jump City is noticeably different from the one of that long-past night, when it was relatively innocent to the true rotten realities of the world. Not anymore. The City had now seen true horrors. And though its defenders had managed to fight them off, the mark had been left. The days of the simple bank robberies and the very few truly dangerous villains were over. Now they were all monsters.

One perfect example would be the small group walking along the street. There were five, and they seemed keen on avoiding the streetlights and hiding in the darkness. If they WERE trying to remain unnoticed, they were not doing a very good job judging by the loud noises made by the bulky tools they carried; a closer look identified them as slightly worn out shovels.

_Titan's Tower._

"_They let Bish out? But he was a maniac!"_

"_I'm not happy about it either, Vic. Bish--"_

"_Can we stop calling him Bish? The police found his real name, didn't they?"_

"_What was it again?"_

"_Alphonse Esther."_

"…_Let's stick with Bish."_

"_IN ANY CASE, he was released after his sadism was supposedly 'cured' through countless of psychiatric sessions. Or so was the testimony of the psychologist that worked with him."_

"_Somehow I doubt that."_

The men turned around a corner and stopped abruptly.

There were two men standing in front of them. One was what some people would refer to as dumb muscle, and is fairly irrelevant to all this. The other was a young man with astonishing good looks, if not a bit effeminate, he carried a small suitcase and a pleasant smile that might drive some girls crazy.

Evidently, the group was not threatened by the blond pretty boy; in fact, they seemed to have expected him seeing as they bowed their heads slowly in respect before joining the pair.

"_Well, there was obviously some money influencing his decision. But we have no evidence and nothing to work on, so Alphonse Esther is an upstanding member of society as far as any law-system is concerned."_

"_We are not just going to stand around and do nothing, are we?"_

"_We aren't. But we can't really do anything that he could twist against us, like accusations us of harassment or something. We can, however, have him followed. Assuming he really hasn't changed."_

"_He hasn't. He tried to cut me open. I didn't need to be an empath to know just how much the thought of it exhilarated him. Something like that can't be changed. Therapy or not, he'll always be a sadist."_

"It is an honor to see you again, High Priest." One of the men said, walking up to the blond man. "Everything is read--"

The 'High Priest's raised hand made the man pause.

"We'll discuss it later. Let's get to work." He smiled. The walk continued as if nothing had happened.

It only took the group a couple of minutes to finish their trip. Now they stood in front of a metal gate that lead into a big square made of mud, tombstones and death.

Jump City cemetery.

"_I'll take your word for it."_

"_So… What? We just start following him? He's bound to notice."_

"_Which is why you won't be doing it, Tara. Stealth is not exactly your forte. Or Gar's for that matter."_

"_Is this a high priority? Do we have to follow him immediately?"_

"_Well, personal feelings aside… Not exactly high, but it's important nonetheless. Still, I… Yeah, we definitely should immediately. One of us should be doing it right now as a matter of fact."_

"Huh. Somehow, I expected something more impressive." Bish commented, his hand passing through his blond hair.

His little group had ignored all the tombstones as they walked through the graveyard. All except one. The one they were standing in front of right now, actually.

It was a simple one, with no real special features. Just a stone with a name and a date on it. Plus a couple of foolish words.

ADAM ALEXANDER MATTHEWS

1982-2001

An errant soul, that now has peace

"_Come on, Tim. He's only been out of the slammer for a couple of hours! I mean,…"_

"'An errant soul, that now has peace'." Bish read with a smile. "This will not do at all, will it?" He then turned to his followers. "Boys?"

They all responded by standing up straight. Like an army. Bish lazily signaled to the grave.

"High Priest Esther says…" He walked past them. It was not his way to do, or be in the presence of, manual labor.

"'GET DIGGING.'"

"…_How much bad could he possibly do?"_

* * *

_John "Prisionero" Guzman_

_presents…_

**VIA NEGATIVA**

_In the midst of life we are in death._

_In the midst of death, some return._

* * *

**Chapter 01: Spitting at God's face.**

It has been two weeks since Bish's release and the events following it. Many significant changes had occurred since that day, but none noticeable to the outside world.

For now.

Bish is now making his way through an illuminated hallway that lead to the underground lair where his experiments had taken place. It had been specially hard to find the appropriate place to start his desired work, specially with those foolish children always watching him from the sky. They thought he hadn't noticed. Idiots. It was obvious they would, they were the ones that had put him in prison, after all!

It was hard enough avoiding them so he could reach this place, just as hard as it had been to find it in the first place. But he had managed. He always knew he would, Bish had a hunger for power, as any other man did. Perhaps a bit more powerful, but he deserved it to begin with.

Which is why he had not been surprised when he heard that with High Priests Nickleson's death, he, having been High Disciple, now to his place as leader of their religion. Pleased, but not surprised.

It truly had been a joyous day when the news reached him. From that moment on, everything went his way on the hell house he had been imprisoned in. He had power now. And most of all, he was safe.

From the brutes at that place.

The ones who had… touched him.

Bish quickly amused himself for a moment as he remembered the expressions on their faces as he walked out of jail. He saw their regret. Their fear.

They knew. The KNEW he would be back for them. He would make them pay for what they did to him. For what they DARE make him feel.

For a moment, Bish anger boiled as he shuddered involuntarily. The he relaxed and breathed deeply.

No matter. He would deal with them after his work was done. He now had the means for it. He wouldn't make the mistakes his predecessor did.

He WOULD have a GOD.

The man had finally reached the other side of the hallway and was stopped by an armored door, with a control panel to its right. Twenty inches of steel, countless of defense mechanisms, and a specific way to stop any of the children.

Without the password, no one would be getting past this door.

A password Bish knew, as he input it into the panel. The door then swiftly opened, revealing the most peculiar room inside.

It was circular, with everything glowing in a yellowish color, probably due to the lights in it. Dozens of complicated machinery and computers aligned in the same circular fashion as the room adorned it, along with several men and women in robes operating them with mastery. For a group of would-be monks, they easily knew their way around the advanced technology.

On the very center of the room there was gigantic containment cylinder made of a see-through material ten times harder than glass. The cylinder was filled with a yellowish (though the color might have been, once again, influenced by the light of the room) liquid and was by far the oddest thing in the room. Probably because a boy floated inside of it.

The boy was strange as well, he appeared unconscious and the 'boy' term didn't really apply to him seeing as he looked twenty-ish; wearing nothing but boxers, his body was filled with dirt, which the liquid solution seemed to be working on cleaning, he also seemed in dire need of a haircut (the hair was so long it reached his rear) and cutting his nails wouldn't hurt either. To drive the point of strangeness through, he also had sensors attached to various parts of his body, monitoring his vitals.

Bish stared at the boy with a mixture of excitement and… pride?

Yes. Pride.

Dirt and lack of care aside, the unconscious boy was fairly handsome, especially considering the peculiar hue of his hair: Numerous golden streaks popped out randomly from his otherwise ebony scalp. However, the main reason his dark hair was heightened and noticeable was due to comparison between it and his skin, which had an unhealthy paleness to it you wouldn't expect from anything alive.

Maybe… Maybe he wasn't unconscious.

"Is the reanimation process making good progress?" Bish asked one of the robed men, who was operating the computers.

"Oh!" The man jumped in surprise, he had not seen him coming. "Oh… Yes! Yes, High Priest Esther! We are making amazingly quick progress on reviving him. It's actually incredible that it's happening so fast."

"Not really." The High Priest commented, his eyes dancing on the floating body. "The specimen was never normal. Never human. In life, he showed great amount of supernatural talents. Even in death, those talents make our job easier. How thoughtful of him."

Bish smiled at the convenience of it all. The children were still in the dark, he had managed to rebuild his religion into something far more advanced than anything Dr. Nickleson could have ever hoped, AND he had a perfect core with which he could start creating his people's god ready and waiting. Well… When he was cleaned up, anyway.

Everything was going perfectly.

"High Priest Esther…"

Bish glared in irritation at his disciple, who had broken his delightful daydream. However, his mood lifted when he saw the robed man shrink back, intimidated. God, he loved having power.

"What is it?" He asked.

"…You should probably see this…" The man answered, pointing to his computer screen.

Bish raised an eyebrow and examined the screen. It wasn't hard to see what had worried his disciple.

"Are those… brain waves?" He asked, slightly astonished.

"...It would appear so, master."

"How is this possible? He's been dead for five years!"

"Well… Master… It could be possible that his mind remained intact even in dead… You see, it happened with Vanity and the other six… And considering his special abilities, it doesn't seem entirely unlik--"

"ARGH." Bish yelled, pushing the man out of the way harshly. He began typing on the keyboard just as furiously.

The mood in the room had shifted, all other working men had stopped and where staring between their leader and their specimen, wondering if this was cause for alarm.

"NO." Bish hissed as he worked. "Not after all the trouble I went through. I will not have my work end up simply as another abomination barely capable of following orders! **I WILL HAVE MY GOD!**"

As much as he fought and cried against it, he couldn't stop it. The brain waves readings kept getting stronger. The brain was rebooting.

And then the alarms went off.

* * *

"_I lost him."_

The man sitting in the dark computer room almost jumped at the sudden voice before realizing it was just his communicator. He grabbed the device and started a conversation with someone he'd rather not see at all.

"What do you mean you lost him?"

"_Well, see, it was like this… …Don't go blaming this on me, Noel!"_

"SAVIOR." The man hissed in annoyance. "Just because secret identities seem a waste to you doesn't mean I share that belief."

"_Dude, I'm in top of a skyscraper next to a freakin' gargoyle! Who'd be listening up on our conversation?"_

"You'd be surprised how many names come to mind." Savior replied dryly. "Now tell me what happened, Gauntlet."

"_Well, at 9:06 pm, I was following young Alphonse around as he walked around town in circles. At 9:07, exactly twelve birds flew by, two of them leaving their droppings on my hair. At 9:08, I started to hurl when the realization of bird poo on my head finally hit me, At 9:10, I w--"_

"GAUNTLET," Savior growled, now very annoyed, "we don't have time for jokes right now. Seeing as Robin is away at Gotham right now, we have to be especially more careful. PLEASE, be serious for once."

"_Fine, fine._ _Man, I swear I'm never getting a laugh out of you… Anyway, I was watching him buy a snack when a small fight broke out between these two guys on the street. I thought it would die out quickly; but then it got ugly, so I had to intervene and stop it. By the time I was done, pretty boy was gone."_

Savior remained silent for a moment.

"Gauntlet, where are you?"

"_What? Didn't I tell you already? I'm on top of a skyscraper next to a gargoy--"_

"That's not what I mean." Savior interrupted. "I meant… Wait a minute, how were you able to see him and the two guys fighting when you were on top of a… Nevermind, I don't want to know."

"_Good call."_

"WHERE ARE YOU, GAUNTLET? Which part of the city are you on?"

"_Right now?_ _Corner of Thomas and Roosevelt, why?"_

Savior didn't answer as he checked the previous reports of his teammates when they were the ones following Bish. He made the connection quickly enough.

When he went back to his communicator, it was modified to now send a message to all members, not only Gauntlet.

"Titans, Gauntlet lost track of Alphonse Esther…"

"_Who's Alphonse…?" _Beastboy's voice started.

"Bish."

"_Oh."_

"After some double checking, I realized that some of us had also lost him around the same area after something else, usually criminal activities, distracted us. I don't think this is a coincidence, guys. Something's up. I'm sending the coordinates of the place to your communicators right now, those close to it should get there immediately. The rest should do the same when they can."

"_I'm very close. I'll be there." _Terra's voice declared.

"Good. Savior out."

The signal was then broken.

Savior remained on his seat for a few seconds before making a move for the door. If Bish was gonna be taken down, he wanted to be there to see it.

* * *

"SOMEBODY TURN THAT OFF!" Bish yelled. The deafening alarm system was irritating him and causing his work to be sloppy. 

"High Priest, perhaps we should consider retreat." One of his men proposed. "We are bound to catch attention should this keep up, we cannot afford losing you again."

The man suddenly found himself being pulled at the face of his master by the collar, and then felt something cold and sharp to his right side.

"We stay." Bish growled, looking like a rabid animal. The captive man gasped as he felt the scalpel poke into his flesh. "Get to work or you'll need a kidney transplant."

He then threw the unnamed man against the computer he had previously been working on, and ran towards the container tube the specimen was in.

"ALL OF YOU!" He roared, as he tried to find a way to stop the boy's mind development. "Fix this! We can't have him have any rational thought! He'd be useless to us if he gains it!"

Maybe if he drugged him enough to dull the process?

No, that might damage the body. He needed it intact.

But how--?

Then the hand burst out of the container, seizing Bish by the neck.

Yellowish water flowed freely from the hole made on the transparent material that had been broken like paper as Bish was lifted off the ground, choking noises escaping his mouth.

The High Priest found himself staring into the golden eyes of the figure that was slowly making his way out of his containment cylinder, the sensors of his body popping off randomly as he did. The eyes lacked the determination and insane drive that they once had, it had replaced by two dull circles filled with confusion, fear, and above else, despair.

Hard to blame him.

An eternity ago, Adam Matthews was a kid who just wanted a peaceful life for himself and his sister. Then he had been forced into apprenticeship by Slade Wilson. Despite his best efforts, he failed to measure up to the title he never had wanted and his foolishness had caused his death. But in this world, the laws of physics and life are very flexible.

And due to Bish's insane need to carry out his predecessor's work, Adam Matthews was back.

Metatron was back.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Rating: M._

_Time Period: Three weeks after Legend Maker's 'The Cutting Edge'._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, nor do I own Noel Collins, Robert Candide, Nigel Hastings, Sophie Mathews, nor any of their respective author's villains. Read this well because it will only be shown on this chapter._

_**Author's note: **This is not exactly important, but it might help you understand what you are about to read. This work, as stated before, is the sequel to my previous fic 'Children of a Lesser God'. But that doesn't mean nothing happened between the gigantic 5-year gap between both stories, there were a LOT_ _of events between them. To make it easier to understand, here's a list of the order things happened:_

'_Teen Titans', season 1.  
'**Children of a Lesser God'**, by me  
'**Black and White'**, by Legend Maker  
'Wings of the Eagles' Parts 1-10, by Legend Maker  
'Time and Time Again', by Legend Maker  
'**The Epic of Gauntlet'**, by Bobcat (not complete)  
'Wings of the Eagles' Part 11-17, by Legend Maker  
'White and Black', by Legend Maker  
'Wings of the Eagles' Part 18-, by Legend Maker (not complete)  
'**Flashing Lights and Sounds'**, by Jedi-And (not complete)  
'The Cutting Edge', by Legend Maker  
'Via Negativa', by me  
'Here Comes Tomorrow' (not complete)_

_I'd like to say you don't need to read all of these to understand what's going on. But you probably should read 'Children of a Lesser God', 'Black and White', 'The Epic of Gauntlet' AND 'Flashing Light and Sounds' unless you want to be asking yourself just who the hell are all those new guys you've never seen or heard about. I should probably also point out that Bish is one of the characters featured on Flashing Lights and Sounds, which is why some of you might have never heard of him before._


	2. Herrenvolk: The need for a purpose

**Chapter 02: The need for a purpose.**

"…You…"

Bish would have trashed and screamed at the fact that his experiment had obviously been a complete disaster, had he not been desperate to keep himself from suffocating under the powerful grip on his neck.

His followers soon gathered around him, ready and willing to help their teacher, but none made a move for it: They couldn't find a way to free him without doing more damage than good in the process.

Or that was their excuse anyway.

"…You…"

The men jumped back as Adam spoke, they had not expected him to be able to. Bish followed the voice and stared into his dull, confused eyes that seemed to be struggling to maintain open. With a gulp, Bish forced words out of his mouth.

"What do you--?"

"…I'll kill you…" Adam suddenly growled; the confusion and doubt now gone, replaced by deep and unrelenting fury.

The horrified Bish could do nothing as he was crashed fiercely against the computers. The men all scattered as sparks from the damaged machinery flied everywhere, before they turned to their specimen. This time, they had every intention of destroying him.

They quickly reconsidered when they saw the dangerous glow on his hands.

"**I'LL KILL YOU!**"

Adam stretched out both arms and the two small gold orbs fired out instantly, destroying anything in its path before reaching their target…

To his luck, Bish jumped out of the fire-zone just as the blasts got there, setting the computer in fire which quickly spread to all the other ones in the room.

It was then when panic finally broke loose.

The men started screaming, they ran like animals as their primal survival instincts took over. They ran for the doors, windows and hell, some even hid under their desks. It was humanity at its worst. And best.

And in the mist of it all, Adam staggered out of his tube and fell on all fours. He quickly regained his up-position and zigzagged forward, towards Bish. After the place caught fire, he hadn't been able to move; but now he suddenly felt inspired as he jumped to his feet and started looking for a way out.

"…Y-you bastard…" Adam stammered as he approached, almost tripping over his own feet. "…How could you…"

His voice caused Bish to face him. His eyes still had the same dullness around them, as if he were not truly alive again. Same dullness, same fear, same despair.

**More **anger.

Sweat fell from Bish's forehead. Adam was now standing in front of him.

"GET AWAY! L-leave me alone…" The High Priest whimpered. In the end, Alphonse Esther was still just a coward who acted all-powerful when he knew he had the power. But only then.

"...How could you…?" Adam whispered, reaching out to him. "…How could you kill her…?"

Bish's fear banished at the words, replaced by confusion. Adam's expression had changed from anger to one of immense grief.

"…Huh?"

And then the anger was back.

"**SHE WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL!**"

With a scream, Adam hurled the man into the air again, crashing him against the opposite wall. Bish bounced off and fell flat on the ground.

"You…" Adam repeated; his fingers pressing against his hair, his overgrown fingernails digging into his scalp. He was shaking visibly. "I saw her **_die_**… On my arms… I couldn't… I couldn't **_save _**her…"

Struggling to get up, Bish yelped as his sleeve caught on fire, forcing him to take the robe off and throw it away. He breathed uneasily as he looked around before realizing he was pretty much trapped in a circle of fire. And that his 'loyal followers' had left him behind. He turned to Adam, paling.

He would quickly lose his bladder control.

"…We… We had a deal…" The resurrected kid lamented. "A deal, Slade… I did… Everything you asked… Everything… I w-was your apprentice… I was going to kill the kids… I… I… MY SISTER WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE!"

The words sparked on Bish's mind. Now he knew. Adam wasn't aware of his surroundings. He was still living that same moment, five years ago. He was still fighting Slade Wilson on his eyes, trying against unbelievable odds to kill him. Trying to avenge his sister. Trying to find PEACE. And on his eyes, Slade was standing right in front of him.

This would not go well for Bish.

"It's all wrong…" Adam wept, falling on his fours. Bish briefly wonder if he could make it to the door. "She wasn't supposed to… She had a life ahead of her!... She should have… She didn't deserve it... I promised I would protect her… After what happened to mom… I…" His eyes lifted to Bish, shattering his hopes to escape. "I couldn't protect her… Because of you… You… **IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!**"

"NO! Wait, I'm not S--!"

_Crack!_

Blood exploded from the man's nose as it was shattered under Adam's fist, sending him flying yet again. This time Bish nearly passed out, fighting against it even as his head spun violently.

"I _WILL_ KILL YOU YET, YOU MONSTER!" Adam howled, leaping in towards him.

"NO! STO--!"

That was all he managed to get out before he was silenced by another punch. And another. And another. Soon Adam was storming him in them, never stopping his onslaught, never wanting to. Only wanting to get rid of the pain.

_To make it go away._

"NO! STOP! PLEASE! **_STOPPPPPPPP!_**"

And then his eyes finally cleared.

And he did stop. His arm froze in mid-swing as he stared at the bloody man crying beneath him. He stared with eyes on which confusion, despair and anger still reigned. But the glassy, lifeless glow was gone.

The mess of a man curling on the ground was hardly recognizable. But Adam knew he wasn't Slade. He now saw Bish for what he really was. In the mist of his confusion, he backed away, tripped and fell on his rear.

"…You… you are not…"

The tone seemed to tell Bish that he was safe for the time being, because the man took the chance and staggered on all fours towards the door, frantically typing the code to open it. He misspelled it, barely stopping himself from sobbing at the fact.

Adam did not take in any of it as he looked around in the fire with a panicked expression. _What's happening?_

"Where… Where's beach?" He whispered. Hadn't he been there just two seconds ago? "Where's the lair? Where are the kids?" He then turned to the man who seemed very keen on opening a metal door. "Where… Hey! Where's Slade?"

He forced himself to his feet and walked toward the bleeding man. The one who suddenly spun around swinging a scalpel at the air menacingly.

"STAY BACK!" Bish yelled.

"…No…" Adam whispered. He couldn't waste time like this, Slade would get away. "Where's Slade? Tell me! Are you… Are you helping him escape?"

"I SAID STAY BACK!" Bish yelled, his fingers pressing at the control panel like crazy.

A spark went off in Adam's mind.

And Bish suddenly found himself being lifted of the ground by the collar. He should have known better.

"I don't think you understand me." His captor spat, now angry. Albeit, with the psychotic murderous drive now lost, it was considerably less threatening. But threatening nonetheless. "I have to find him. Because of him, something dear to me is now gone. I HAVE TO **KILL **HIM. I have to make it right. Before suddenly appearing here, I was fighting him. Now I'm not. You are the only one here, so YOU had something to do with this. Now tell me **_WHERE HE IS._**"

Bish struggled a bit before realizing he couldn't get away. Had he been in better mental condition, he might have thought of lying. But he wasn't. So he didn't.

"I don't know!"

"_Don't lie to me!_"

"I'm not! He… He wound up in a coma after a fight with the Titans a few months ago and… And nobody knows where he was taken after that!"

"**STOP _LYING!_**" Adam screamed, pulling Bish off the wall he was being pinned against before crashing him into it severely.

Bish let out a scream of agony.

"I'm not--!"

BLAM!

Adam had repeated the process. He had also heard the cracking of Bish's bones after the last impact, but at this point he couldn't care less. Not only was he wasting his time here, but he was also being feed ridiculous stories. The Titans were children: None of them had what it takes to land somewhat comatose, much less when that someone is as skilled as he grudgingly admitted Slade was.

"I WAS FIGHTING HIM FIVE MINUTES AGO! **_WHERE IS HE?_**"

Bish yelped as the kid's eyes glowed. That always meant he was charging up.

In the thick fog of panic, he found some courage.

"NO! YOU WEREN'T!" He yelled, lifting his feet and slamming them against Adam's chest.

The recently-reborn teen always had had some level of endurance that was well above that of a human's, so the hit didn't really hurt that much. But unlike Superman, he couldn't just take blows that didn't hurt him and act as if he didn't notice them at all: Pain or no pain, the force behind the kick was enough to push him back, releasing Bish.

Bish got up even as Adam recovered from his small surprise at the attack, his hand instinctively searched for the control panel, next to him. He found it easily enough, but by then Adam was glaring daggers at him; he was getting annoyed. Bish needed to buy time.

"Stop…"

"I'M NOT LYING! That fight was 5 years ago!"

Adam froze at the words, staring. Bish started on the password, but it was rather difficult to due only through touch, seeing as he had to keep his eyes on the child that had almost murdered him.

"Don't you remember? AT ALL?" The man continued. "How can't you?"

"What the hell are you talki…"

"You **died**, you idiot!" Bish growled. "He killed you! You were no match for him!"

At this point, Adam had stepped back, completely floored by this piece of information.

"You failed and for that he murdered you." The High Priest muttered, typing the last three words. "And today I brought you back… You were going to be the foundation of our god… But you… you kept your mind even in death… You destroyed everything I worked for the past weeks… You… _You hit me…_"

Bish's composure had been regained slowly, mainly because he saw what his words were doing to Adam. The teen looked broken, staring at him with apprehension, as if hoping for him to suddenly say 'gotcha!'. It was easy for him to recover his valor in situations like this.

He pressed enter, hoping he hadn't accidentally written in a typo. He almost released a sigh of relief when the metallic door swiftly slid open.

"…And you are gonna pay for it all…" He finished, backing away slowly. The blood from the beating Adam had given him had dried, and it only made him look more threatening. "…I'll see to it myself…" He turned around once he was near enough to the door.

He shouldn't have.

A very weak wave of warm air struck him as soon as he did.

"…You…"

Bish immediately spun on his spot, all the valor banishing as soon as it had come. Adam stood there, glaring at him within the fire that still spun around him. Golden energy twirled violently from both his fists, almost looking as if they were _begging _to be released.

The scene made him look like the demon he was more than any other in his entire life.

"**YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?**" Adam roared.

Bish paled considerably as he realized that his conscious had once again taken a vacation: Another beating might kill him. No, it _would _kill him.

"YOU… YOU **_DRAG _**ME OUT HERE WITH CRAZY STORIES ABOUT A FIVE-YEAR GAP IN MY MEMORY, SAYING THAT I DIED, THAT I WAS **_KILLED_** BY THAT BASTARD, **_TELLING ME THAT I COULDN'T AVANGE MY SISTER_**… Saying… Saying… That I… Failed her…" Adam's eyes shifted from anger to despair for a split second. "And I couldn't do it… **_AND YOU WANT ME TO BELIEVE IT?_**"

He could have run away, Bish thought. Now he couldn't. Even if he tried, Adam was faster than him.

"Look Matthews, I… I'm not…"

"**_STOP LYING TO ME!_**" Adam roared, almost weeping. "I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! YOU ARE TRYING TO HELP HIM! YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE HE GETS AWAY! **_I KNOW YOU ARE! _**YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FOOL ME! I KNOW HE'S HERE HIDDEN! SOMEWHERE!"

"He's not here! He's… I don't know where he is!" Bish cried, now very panicked.

Adam's energy blazed.

"YOU ARE LYING!" His voice was now hysterical, as if trying to cling to the belief that the man before him was just some insane fool. "YOU ARE! I CAN TELL! I! CAN! TELL! FIND HIM! I KNOW YOU ARE HIDDING HIM! **_MAKE HIM COME OUT!_**"

And then he stretched his arms, aiming at the ceiling.

Bish's panic doubled.

"WAIT! The building is damaged enough already! It can't take anoth--!"

_**BOOM.**_

He could have run away.

* * *

"You know, it annoys me that Noel has publicly declared that he makes for a lousy team leader." The male teen commented. Despite complaining, his tone kept a playful, carefree nature that also radiated from every part of his body. With his casual blue jeans, white t-shirt with black sleeves and blond (though slightly spiky, but not much) hair, he looked like a perfectly normal teenager. Well, except for the fact that his entire right arm was covered in what seemed to be a golden cybernetic arm with interesting carvings on it, though probably just for decoration. "Otherwise I would have called him on it." 

His name was Robert Candide, aka Gauntlet, as you could probably deduce from the 'G' insignia in the middle of his shirt, and he had been the second of the four members that had eventually joined the Teen Titans after the original five.

"Eh, you know him. He spends half the time putting himself down." His companion replied. This one was female and also a blonde, though hers was fairly longer than Gauntlet's, and her outfit was tight and made her curves very noticeable. Though you shouldn't look hopeful, guys, she barely had any. She was very skinny, to the point where anorexia seemed to be around the corner, but not quite there yet. The aforementioned outfit consisted on hiking boots and gloves, dull yellow shorts, a black top with a gold 'T' on it's center and goggles over her eyes. "The other half, he spends on putting _you _down."

Yes, she _is _Tara Markov, Terra, and she was floating above the ground on a rather large pile of rocks. If you are wondering why she hasn't betrayed the Titans and why she's a Titan in the first place, skim through Legend Maker's work; she mentions her explanation _somewhere. _Terra also had a belt similar to Robin's around her waist, though everyone wondered why she carried it, seeing that as far as everybody knows, she only carries her communicator in it. Nobody had seen her take out anything aside the device from it. Could it mean that maybe she had some sort of powerful weapon in it that she created in a struck of genius and it could serve to save all her friends on one occasion?

…Pfft. Terra? Not bloody likely.

You are welcome, Zia.

(A/N: I have nothing against Terra, just thought it would make for a funny joke.)

"You know, the sad thing is, that's probably truth." Gauntlet remarked, referring to her last comment.

Terra simply chuckled good-naturedly: The everlasting conflict between her two seniors was always good for a laugh. Though it was likely Savior would do horrible things to her should he know she thought that.

After the call Savior had sent out to the other Titans, she had been the first to join Gauntlet. Though that's as far as it had gotten, they had no idea where to go from there nor what to look for, and so five minutes passed and Gauntlet was reasonably bored.

"So, should we scout around or something?" Terra asked, feeling a little bored herself.

"Nah, five minutes have passed, so the obvious incoming threat will make itself evident in 3…" Gauntlet started, looking at his watch. "…2…"

Terra placed her hands on her hips. "C'mon, Gauntlet. You don't _really _think…"

"1."

"AAAAH! GET OUT OF THE WAY! LET ME THROUGH!"

Terra stared in amazement as the man came running across the street, pushing surprised people aside. "…How the hell did you knew?"

"Elementary, my dear Terra." Gauntlet started, a yellow detective hat materializing over his head. That was the ability of the gauntlet, the mystical weapon that engulfed his right arm and inspired his codename: Aside from enhancing his human features (such as strength, speed, etc.) and giving him a shield to protect himself with, it also could create crude forms of objects, weapons and such, much like the Shimmer (Noel's semi-sentient malleable energy that resided on his spine unless summoned), but whose power was supposedly 'limited only by the imagination.'

Which was a bull of crap considering how many times Robert had been beaten.

"HEY!"

Just a thought, I mean you _do _have an overactive imagination, you should be invincible! …Now go back to Terra!

Gauntlet seemed to shrug it off and started again. "Elementary, my dear Terra!" He grinned. "Stuff always happen predictably in places like this, I mean, it's fanfiction! Not terribly original, you know."

And so the fourth wall collapsed after barely escaping destruction not 6 lines ago. For some reason that will never be discovered by mortal men, one of the collapsing bricks fell on Robert's head, somehow penetrating his shield.

Starting early with the wall-breaches, ain't you?

"Wouldn't be Gauntlet if I didn't." The blond-haired jokester replied, smiling goofily even though he was rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"Gauntlet, quit talking to yourself and come on!" Terra chastised before diving towards the running man.

The man shrieked when Terra stopped in front of him. He shrieked again when Gauntlet fell next to her.

"Jeez, have some dignity, man." Robert commented, rubbing his ears. Then he blinked as he saw the same thing Terra was seeing: The man was wearing a robe. A robe he recognized; the guys who had tried to cut his friends open to give their powers to a would-be god wore the exact same robe. "HEY! You are part of Nickleson's cult… Thing…"

"Surprise, surprise." Terra muttered bitterly, she remembered what they had tried to do to her, and she still didn't like it. "Looks like Savior was right again. Shocker. Well, kind sir, mind taking us to your leader?"

"NO! LET ME THROUGH!" The man roared, attempting to push through Terra, who looked the weakest.

And while she was, that didn't matter. For the giant stone fist emerging from the ground and seizing the man eliminated any need for hand-to-hand conflict.

"Huh. Nice craftsmanship." Gauntlet commented, looking at the fist and the struggling man within it. "You could be the next Michelangelo if the superhero gig gets old for you."

"Nah, with my powers, it'd be pretty much cheating." Terra shrugged. Plus, she enjoyed having a home at Titans Tower.

"NO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" The man interrupted in sheer panic. "I'VE GOT TO GET AWAY! WE ALL DO!"

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Gauntlet asked. "As far as I can tell, you are the only threat here. I don't see any other danger, do you?"

Silence.

"ARGH! Bad Gauntlet! BAD!" Gauntlet groaned, smacking himself. "You just gave the author an opening!"

He waited for disaster.

…It didn't come.

"…Huh." Gauntlet commented. "Maybe this time, the horrible clichés won't be us—"

_**BOOM!**_

The explosion shook the streets, causing people to scream in fright, not sure what to make of it. The captive cult member whimpered at it, having a fair idea what it implied.

Terra stared at the direction it had come from, confused. "What the hell?"

Gauntlet, however, was shaking his fist at the sky.

"You people just _live _for these horrible puns, don't you!" He yelled. Then he ran in its direction. "Come on, Terra!"

Terra still felt confused, but shrugged it off and followed his teammate.

"HEY! W-WAIT! LET ME GO!" The trapped man cried.

"Just hang in there, we'll be back for ya!" The geokinetic girl yelled back at him.

"Wonder if all authors that write me are going to use me as comic-relief…" Gauntlet muttered to himself.

Oh yes, I'm gonna _enjoy _writing about Robert Candide.

* * *

_I gotta find him… I gotta…_

_**I gotta kill him.**_

_He… He did this…_

_**HE'S NOT GONNA GET AWAY!**_

_It hurts… It still hurts… After all this time…_

_**It's not been five years.**_

_But the man… he…_

_**IT'S NOT BEEN FIVE YEARS! I DIDN'T DIE! HE'S LYING!**_

_Find Slade…_

_**KILL HIM…**_

_Then it'll all be okay again…_

* * *

Bish's lair had been underground, part of its defensive procedures. Ironically enough, a church was built right above it. Probably as some sort of confusion technique. The lair's entrance was found in one of the confessionary rooms, but unless you knew what to look for, you wouldn't be going in. 

Fairly ingenious hiding place overall. This factor aided to the extreme bewilderment Gauntlet and Terra felt went they saw dozens of terrified people running away from the would-be house of God.

"What the hell is going on here?" Robert asked from his place over a light-post, he had opted for it after almost being stomped by the fleeing masses. "Are they all like biblical demons being exorcized or something?"

Terra didn't answer, floating on her rock. On their way here, she had seen many other robed men fleeing from the scene, but hadn't had the time to round them up. It was obvious to her (and probably Gauntlet, he was just trying to lighten the mood as he always did) that this was the new meeting address for Nickleson's religion.

Then she saw the smoke slowly making its way out of the windows.

"CRAP! Gauntlet! FIRE!" She yelled, instinctively crushing her rock that maintained her airborne into sand and throwing it into the flames. She was driven to her knees when she fell to the ground.

"On it." Gauntlet answered, running over to a fire hydrant; and then using his talent to form a crude hook, opening it and releasing the water into the building.

The fire was out in seconds. But not because of the water: The building collapsed.

"Shit." Gauntlet cursed, shutting off the hydrant. "I hope everyone got out in time."

The rubble shook a bit, catching the teens' attention.

"What the…?" Terra inquired. Then she yelped and covered her head as the debris exploded, sending dust everywhere. When it seemed to be over, she turned back.

Adam Matthews stood there, dizzily and breathing heavily. Having a building fall on you would do that. But he was still alive.

He still had a mission.

Gauntlet seemed taken aback by this, wondering who this guy was and if it he would cause trouble.

Terra was another story: She blushed involuntarily. She had no romantic attraction towards the male in front of her, but he was, after all, practically naked. Yes, he had boxers on, but they were the tight kind, which left very graphic silhouettes. During her life in the road, Terra had never been touched due to her powers; but she _had_ some bad memories, so the scene made her uncomfortable, hence the blush.

And hence her reaction. She had never seen this guy before and he didn't exactly look friendly (in fact, he looked more animal than human), so she reacted on impulse and did the first thing that came to mind.

She attacked.

"EEEK!" The girl cried, both her eyes and extended hand glowing yellow. Her power coming through for her, a chuck of cement flew of the road and charged Adam with a vengeance.

"TERRA!" Gauntlet howled, too late to stop her.

Adam's eyes darted around in time to see the boulder coming, but not in time to stop it. The rock hit him dead on, sending him crashing against the wreckage; then he fell, not getting up.

Gauntlet ran to her companion. "What were you thinking?"

Terra gulped involuntarily. "Oh crap… Rob, I'm so sorry, he caught me by surprise and…"

Then Adam jumped up, looking furious. His forehead was bleeding as well, but he didn't seem to notice. Both Titans gaped at him.

"You people…" He growled, staring at the teenagers. "You are with him too, aren't you? YOU ARE TRYING TO PROTECT HIM TOO!"

The two exchanged confused glances.

"**WELL, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SUCCEED!**" He roared, and then he charged. He aimed for the one who attacked him first, his reasons being obvious.

The geokinetic gasped as he came before her training kicked in and she lashed out another chunk of rock, this one twice as big as the last one.

Adam jumped up to meet the rock and actually KICKED through it as it had been wet paper. Terra gaped at the scene and didn't notice Adam's kick was still on course until it was too late. His foot crashed against her face with a sickening sound and she was thrown back, nose broken and unconscious.

She had been lucky the kick lost most of its strength when it pierced the rock, otherwise the result would have been far worse. Still, Terra's face was a bloody mess and she had been taken out five seconds into the fight.

You are welcome again, Zia. (Though don't expect many more, I'm not that much into bashing.)

At first, Gauntlet was too shocked to react. Not only because Terra, one of the green heroes he himself had seen blossom into a very competent one not too long ago, had been taken out so easily; but also because at how fast this kid had covered the distance between himself and the girl. This kid who looked barely a bit older than him. This kid who was in a serious need of a manicure and a shower.

This kid who was looking at him right now, insanity and fury on his eyes.

"_You can't stop me._" He hissed.

"I don't even know what to stop you from!" Gauntlet replied nervously.

"**LIAR!**"

"Now, I resent that! Why, I've never told a lie! And of course OJ didn't do it!"

Adam paused momentarily, confusion fogging his anger. But then the anger was back.

"**YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FOOL ME!**" He cried, lashing out a fist.

It connected directly against Gauntlet's shield, pushing him back three steps without much damage. Adam's eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. He had seen the punch connect, but he hadn't _felt _it. _Something had gotten in the way._

"Well, no freakin' duh." Gauntlet shrugged, like he hadn't noticed the impact. "I mean, you'd have to be on kindergarden level to believe that."

At this point Adam roared, lashing out a storm of fist against the kid. He kept talking to him as if nothing was happening, simply stepping back due to the force of the punches.

"Ok, fine. My friend did attack you first so you had reason to be mad." Gauntlet commented. "But did you have to hit her that hard? I mean, that's just cruel."

"SHUT UP!" Adam screamed, royally pissed off. He had been at this for a while now and there it was still! The feeling that he wasn't actually hitting him. "YOU THINK I'M GONNA GIVE UP? FUCK YOU! I'M NOT GONNA STOP! I WILL FIND HIM! I WILL HAVE PEACE!"

Gauntlet raised a brow. "What are you _talking _about?" His shield was slowly becoming more visible due to the continuous impacts, but this guy was a long way from actually getting around it.

"YOU KNOW!" Adam roared, his onslaught continuing. "YOU CAN'T FOOL ME! YOU ARE HELPING HIM! **DON'T TRY TO BULLSHIT ME WITH STORIES LIKE THAT OTHER GUY! I DIDN'T DIE! _I DIDN'T DIE!_**"

"Well, I think that's pretty obvious, seeing as you are… You know, talking? A lot, in my opinion." Gauntlet commented.

"**_I SAID…_**" Adam's hands glowed as he put them together, forming a blast two times the size of the average.

Gauntlet's eyes widened.

"**_SHUT! UP!"_** The kid finished, shooting the blast.

It hit Gauntlet head-on, sending him flying against a tree on the sidewalk. He grunted and fell to the ground.

Adam let out a breath of fatigue. _These bastards… They must be trying to tire me out…_

"…Ugh…"

Adam's head snapped up.

Gauntlet stood there; a little dizzy, but that's about all the damage he had suffered.

"Thanks, pal. Now I'm gonna need a few metric tons of aspirin. I'll mail you the bill." He muttered. The joking tone was still there, but it was somehow… Different.

He was telling Adam that now he would fight back.

Adam growled in annoyance as he stretched out his arm again, firing another blast.

This time Gauntlet knew what to expect. He expanded his shield in a dome-like fashion as the blast reached him. The energy dug into the shield as it struggled to push it out. Each one trying to beat the other and protect/destroy their target.

The shield won.

Adam's eyes widened as the blast ricocheted off Gauntlet's shield and soared back to him at twice the speed as before. He couldn't stop it and in hit him on the chest.

The teen found himself doing an impression of what Gauntlet had done when he had been on his shoes. Except instead of crashing against a tree, he hit a building wall, making it cave. Though it didn't collapse.

However, it did when Gauntlet tackled Adam through it.

Adam screamed, falling to the ground on the other side of the wall, with Robert on top as the pain struck him.

"YOU BASTARD!" He yelled. "GET OFF!"

Borrowing a page out of Bish's book, he put both legs up and kicked Gauntlet off with all the strength he could muster.

The kid went flying through the hole and back to the street.

Adam was about to follow suit when he noticed something.

He was now on an empty, dark room, wondering where its owners where (he didn't know it, but when everyone started running out of the church, people around had wised up and decided it wasn't a good idea to stay here; so everyone on the street had evacuated.), but the TV called his attention. It seemed the people that lived here had forgotten to turn it off before leaving, so it still was broadcasting its contents.

The news.

"…Or so was the comment of local hero, Green Arrow." The newswoman was saying. "In a lighter story, the one thousandth baby on Florida was born today, February 21st, 2006. The baby was a girl and perfectly healthy. Her parents had this to—"

The news report was suddenly stopped by one of Adam's blast destroying the television. He stared at the destroyed machine with livid eyes.

"…**No**…" He hissed, and then ran out after Gauntlet.

No sooner had he done that, he found himself flying off into the sky as a large yellow bludgeon slammed against his chest.

He landed some 20 feet away, clenching his chest with a pained expression.

"BANZAI!"

Adam rolled out of the way as the same bludgeon came crashing on his previous spot. He blinked in confusion as it disappeared back into Gauntlet's shield.

"Now, are you gonna be a good boy and tell me what the hell's wrong with you?"

"**_SHUDDUP!_**" Adam roared, lashing out a fist.

It had about the same effect as his other ones. Though Gauntlet found his back pressed against the wall of the building parallel to the one they had been in before.

"One of these days, Gladys!" Gauntlet exclaimed, shaking his fist. "POW! To da moon!"

Adam's fist reared back.

"Ah, what the hell, TODAY's that day!" Gauntlet said, throwing out his own fist before his opponent could.

Fact 1: Robert Candide has enhanced strength, allowing him to lift roughly 4 tons.

Fact 2: Adam Matthews does not posses a nifty shield that nullifies or lessens physical attacks.

Hypothesis: Adam's above human resistance will be able to lessen the blow somewhat. Yet he will still be thrown into the air and be in great amounts of pain.

_BLAM!_

"ARGGGGGGHHHHHH!" The demonic teenager screamed as he flew through the air, he crashed some distance away with a sickening 'thud'.

He also was feeling great amounts of pain.

Hypothesis proven.

"Look, unless you are a masochist or something, we should call it a day." Gauntlet called out. He had no more desire to fight him.

Adam's eyes snapped open as he fought back the aforementioned pain and stood up, glaring and baring his bloody teeth at Gauntlet. The kid's last attack seemed to have caused a minor internal bleeding.

"Man, you _are _a masochist…" Gauntlet muttered, looking at his eyes. "Well, you know, I know this very good psychologist and…"

"**_GO TO HELL!_**" Adam yelled, firing half a dozen blasts.

Gauntlet expanded his shield, readying himself for impact. Then all the blast went right over his head.

The blond teen blinked a couple of times, wondering if his attack had somehow royally screwed up his opponent's aim, but then heard the explosions signifying that the blasts had reached their true target.

He looked up and groaned when he saw the great amounts of debris that had been nuked off the building's upper walls falling directly on him.

"GODDAMNIT, NOT AGAIN!"

_CRASH!_

He was not out, but for the time being, Robert Candide could not fight.

And Adam Matthews fell on his rear, exhausted. He rested his head on his arms in an attempt to refill some of his energy reserves. He briefly wondered if he could just get some sleep right here and now.

_**Kill him.**_

Adam growled lowly, pushing himself to his feet and almost losing his footing on the process. But he had rested enough. He could keep going. He turned and ran the way he remembered the beach was.

And promptly fell in his face.

Though that had not been through any fault of his own, something had tripped him… Or seized him. Turning around in the ground, he found that his left ankle had been wrapped on a… Rope?

A white, shimmering rope?

"Here's how it goes…"

Adam's eyes followed the voice (and the rope) to see its carrier. For the first time, he considered for a fraction of a second that maybe he _was _dead, but he batted the thought away. Either the man in front of him was an angel, or the most concrete/ridiculous display of white pride he had ever seen.

Aside from his t-shirt, which was VERY light blue, everything the man wore was white: White jacket, white pants, white boots and white gloves. Even his spiky, gravity-defying hair was pure white. His eyes were the same hue as his shirt, and were staring at Adam with a great deal of intensity.

He was Savior, aka Noel Collins, the first member to join the Titans after the original five and current co-leader while Robin was away. A master strategist, he had been delayed from getting here sooner because he had noticed the robed men running around and had taken his time rounding them up for questioning. Or simply because he too had very bad memories concerning them and also knew how to hold a grudge better than any woman.

He had managed to get here in time to see Gauntlet crushed under the pile of rubble he was in now (ok, perhaps a little sooner, but no way he would miss seeing that), and before that he had found the unconscious Terra and stopped the bleeding from her nose.

Needless to say, he wasn't happy about seeing two of his 'friends' (and the term was used carefully) being bested and defeated by some kid who seemed more than a bit out of it.

He wasn't happy at all.

"You have five seconds to tell me why you attacked my teammates like that." Savior continued, his face blank. "Unfortunately, it took me seven seconds to say that."

And then he attacked.

Adam's eyes widened as the rope seizing his ankle suddenly dragged him into the air and slammed him down against the ground face-first. Fiercely.

"**AAHHHHH!**" The kid cried, his vision blurring as blood poured from his old wounds. And many new ones.

"Where's Alphonse Esther?" Savior asked. He had deduced that this kid was probably responsible for the entire cult running in fright, so he had to have seen him. And he was right.

Too bad Adam never bother to learn the name of the bloody blonde man that had lied to him.

"**_BASTARD!_**" Adam cried, rolling on his back and firing a blast.

It exploded against Savior's recently made shield. The ivory teen gritted his teeth as he was forced to his knees under the pressure of it.

"You are not listening…" Savior hissed and then swung Adam into the air. _BLAM! _"Are you?"

"_YOU ARE NOT GOING TO STOP ME!_" The enraged teen responded, aiming for a second try.

Swing. _BLAM!_

The good people of Jump City's construction department would be having an awfully nice amount of work tomorrow.

"ARGH!" Adam fought unconsciousness as he made a leap for the white substance holding him.

It retreated instantly out of his reach. Adam growled and jump at Savior, ready to punch him into oblivion.

He was crushed back into the ground as some kind of whip appeared out of nowhere and slapped him across the face, leaving a nasty mark. He didn't attempt to get up, breathing heavily.

Savior arched his eyebrow. Either this guy was immensely tired, or Gauntlet and Terra really needed to train more; because he wasn't having much trouble with him.

"Are you ready to listen now?" He asked, keeping his distance.

Then Adam jumped to his feet with a roar, charging towards Savior. The teen threw a Shimmer line in an attempt to stop him, but he dodged under it and kept going. Savior grimaced at the guy's speed before putting on a shield.

Even through the thick white walls, he saw the dim yellow glow on the other side and braced himself.

Not enough.

**BOOM.**

Savior was thrown back with a scream. It was more of surprise: The other one hadn't affected him as much. It was unknown to him, but Adam had charged up this one, which made more damage.

To both, as the black-and-gold haired kid stumbled back, fighting to stay up. He couldn't use so many blasts at the same time, they depleted his reserves. Specially the charged ones. Feeling faint, he knew he could still fight and he still had his strength, but he wouldn't be firing any new blasts until he got the sleep he so dearly wanted.

Meanwhile, Savior had gotten to his feet and was glaring at the tired teen. It took him seconds to realize what Adam knew. This made the fight easier for him.

"Listen, kid." He growled. "Enough is enough, you can't go on. Now are you going to be smart or do I have to send you to jail along with three hundred pounds of life-preserving equipment?"

"**Burn.**"

Adam closed the distance between himself and Savior in roughly 2.3 seconds and lashed out a fist. Good thing Savior could create a shield in 1.8 seconds. Adam's fist harmlessly bounced off the white wall as it dissipated, revealing Savior as he fired a line with a spiked end.

Adam tackled him to the ground but before being able to do anymore damage, a large white block burst out of Savior's stomach area, throwing Adam into the sky. Savior jumped to his feet and fired 7 lines from random parts of his arm at the free-falling teen.

He twisted himself in the air before falling on the Titan, his hands on hammer position. Savior's eyes widened as he positioned both hands on an X and reinforced them with the Shimmer.

The crashing sound of the blows almost deafened both fighters. Savior growled as he felt his feet sink into the concrete as it were sand.

Adam jumped back from his attack falling to his knees and breathing heavily.

Savior's arms fell limp to his sides as his legs almost gave up on him as well. He was studying Adam in some interest. How the hell did he move like that? He's like a friggin' cat!

"You people can't stop me…" Adam growled. "You bastards… **_I WON'T FAIL!_**"

He lashed out, fists ready.

Then his eyes widened as his entire body, save his head, was wrapped in the shimmer and pulled off the ground.

Savior's eyes narrowed as he stared at the now captive Adam. His hand was stretched out, keeping the shimmer immobilizing the teen steady.

"Another lunatic with a mission." Savior spat. "I've heard them all. What is it? Salvation disguised as genocide? Attempt to find the flaw on human beings by cutting them open and having a look around? Create a god all to ourselves? Well?"

"**LET ME GO.**" Adam hissed in response, struggling on the Shimmer. Savior's eyes strained to keep him sealed. "I don't care what you do, let me go! **YOU ARE NOT GONNA STOP ME! YOU BASTARDS, YOU THINK I'LL GIVE UP? YOU THINK I'LL BUY YOUR BULSHIT LIES? GO TO HELL, I WILL GET LEVERAGE! _NOW LET ME GO! ARGH!"_**

"Nice lungs you got there. Can't say the same about your speech, though." Savior responded, trying to hide the fact that it was taking all his concentration not to let Adam escape.

He decided he had to end it now. Putting his hand behind his back, a thin shimmer strand, so thin it was hard to see it, made its way from his finger towards Adam's ear.

It was an old trick he had mastered long ago; the shimmer had the ability to connect to other people's nervous system. Within it, it could read their minds, see memories, absorb information.

And if necessary, knock someone out with the slightest touch of a particular nerve.

Like right now. The semi-invisible line slowly climbed Adam's persona, ready to accomplish its task.

_SH-CLUCK!_

Noel's entire body tensed, his pupils shrinking in surprised.

A hand was sticking out of Adam's prison, a hand that had pierced through it. A hand that had long, sharp and dimly glowing black claws.

_SLASH!_

_SH-LUCK!_

_SHHKKKTTT!_

Savior's body jerked involuntarily as his brain went numb and the Shimmer was ripped to shreds.

Adam fell to the ground and crouched down, breathing heavily. Claws were not the only new thing about him: He also had developed fangs and elfin ears.

"…I told you… I told you you weren't…"

_Thud._

Adam's weak eyes looked up and were somewhat surprised to see Savior had fallen to his knees, horror-struck.

You see, the Shimmer was deeply connected to Savior's own nervous system, and its only weakness was blades. Were the Shimmer to be cut, Savior would feel the equivalent of having all the nerves on his body set on fire.

Adam hadn't cut the Shimmer. He had maimed it to the point where it would make a nice sloppy joe. And no matter how well trained Savior was, there's only one response to feeling like not only had your nerves been set on fire but they also been dipped in freggin' napalm: Screaming. LIKE HELL.

So he did.

"Aaaaa_aaaaaaaa**aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**_…**_!"_**

Savior collapsed on the ground, hugging his arms and spasming. The pain so unbearable he went into fetal position and forgot all about Adam.

Who had fallen on his rear at the sudden outburst, eyes wide. He instantly felt worried; he never wanted to kill anyone.

_**Anyone but him.**_

"…This is all his fault…" Adam growled. "…He made me do it… HE DID IT… **_IT WAS ALL HIM!_**"

Then he ran off.

Towards the beach.

After a few moments Savior finally managed to control his pain, but he still felt it. Gritting his teeth, he reached into his jacked and pulled out a yellow circle.

The Titans Communicator.

* * *

…_How could I? That kid… He could be dead!_

_**IT WASN'T MY FAULT! SLADE DID IT! HE CAUSED IT ALL! ALL MY SUFFERING!**_

_He didn't force me into anything… I… I hurt him… I didn't want to… He…_

_**HE GOT IN THE WAY. IT'S HIS FAULT!**_

_STOP BLAMING OTHERS! I DID IT! IT WAS ME! MY FAULT! That's why… That's why she died…_

_**SHE DIDN'T DIE! I'M GOING TO SAVE HER!**_

…_No… What that guy said…_

_**He LIES.**_

_The newswoman…_

_**NO! ALL LIES!**_

_I… I remember… I think I… I remember…_

_**I DIDN'T DIE!**_

…_I remember you… You were that voice… That voice that said was me… That sounded like me… You told me to get leverage… You told me to fight…_

_**I AM YOU, YOU IDIOT! ARE YOU GOING INSANE?**_

_And then… And then I fought…_

_**YES! AND THEN WE GOT SEND TO THAT PLACE!**_

…_No… That's not what happened…_

_**SHUT UP!**_

_I… I lost… The poison… The poison that killed Aura…_

_**I SAID SHUT UP!**_

_It infected me… And then…_

_**JUST SHUT UP!**_

…_I… I died… At his feet…_

_**NOOOO! NO! NONONONONO!**_

_Like a dog…_

_**HE COULDN'T BEAT ME!**_

_I died… I… I think I'm dead…_

_**NO! SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! I HAD THE POWER! I STILL DO! I'LL GET TO THE BEACH! AND…!**_

…_I'm dead…_

_**THE LAIR WILL BE THERE! I WILL KILL SLADE! I'LL SHOW YOU! YOU'LL SEE! I DIDN'T DIE! I DIDN'T!**_

* * *

"_T-Titans._" 

"Savior? Dude, are you ok? You sound like hell!" A male voice answered.

"Noel?" A female voice asked, with worry.

"_He got away…_"

"Who?" Another male voice asked, this one more rough than the first one.

"_A kid… He… He came running from the Bish's hiding place as it was set on fire. He disabled Terra, Gauntlet and me."_

"By himself?" Rough voice asked, somewhat worried.

"_No… He took us… One on one… He's pretty tired by now…"_

"Is Terra ok?" The first male voice asked, alarmed.

"_She's fine, Beastboy. But you… You gotta find him, we can't right now…"_

"We'll find him. What does he look like?" The female asked on an angered tone.

"Should we get Nigel to come too?" Beastboy asked before Savior could respond.

"_No… He… He deserves some time off, guys. Listen, I… I should be ok in a few minutes. Find him. He's wearing only boxers, that'll probably help. He's a Caucasian male, almost 20 if not already. Long, black hair with gold streaks. Golden eyes. Slightly built. He also has black claws and ears like yours, Beastboy. And be careful, he has the ability to throw golden 'energy' at us, but I think he exhausted that… Got all that?"_

Savior awaited response for a minute.

Silence on the other line.

"…_Guys?_"

Cyborg, the rough voice, responded.

"What… What did you just said?"

* * *

"…No…" 

Jump City beach.

Five Years ago, a fight had taken place here. It had been discovered to be one of Slade Wilson's past hiding places. During the fight between him, his apprentice and the Titans, it had been all but destroyed. No one but Slade, mostly because he hadn't actually been there, had come out unharmed. The Titans suffered many wounds. And…

The apprentice had died.

"…No…"

Now all that remained was sand and a few pieces of forgotten machinery, rust to the core. Adam walked through the ruins, his eyes full of horror. Full of realization.

He stood in what back then had been the middle of the meeting room Slade had had but never used.

"No… I couldn't have…"

_I did…_

"NO! I… NO! It's a trick!" Adam cried, his voice breaking. He could no longer fool himself. "Please… Let it be a trick…"

He could no longer hide in denial.

_If I died…_

Adam's eyes watered.

_Then Aura…_

"…no…"

Then he fell to his knees. Shoving his pride on the toilet, he cried.

"…It's my fault…" He wept, his hands on his face. "…It's all my fault… I did it… _I _did it… Not Slade…"

He glared at the sand beneath him, as if he thought it somehow made that truth easier.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I…" His eyes flashed beneath the tears. "**ARGHHHH!**"

He punched the ground. Then he got up and started trashing the already ruined place. Destroying the already broken machines. Trying anything to bent anger.

"HOW COULD I?" He yelled, tearing through an old computer. "SHE WAS COUNTING ON ME! SHE NEEDED ME! I WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP HER!"

He kicked a rusty chair and it flew into the ocean.

"USELESS BASTARD!"

Then he started smashing the ground with his fist. Pounding on it, destroying it. As he would if it were himself. Screaming between punches.

"I failed! I FAILED! **I FAILED! I FAILED! I FAILED! I FAILED! _I FAILED!_**"

_Failure._

_**Failure.**_

_**FAILURE.**_

_**FAILU--! **_

"…Adam?"

Adam turned around at the voice, tears fresh on his eyes. Victor Stone, Cyborg, stood there, looking at him. Adam looked back as his features softened, he recognized him.

And yet, there was something different. The human side of him… Older. Wiser. Adult.

The change of five years in the business.

Adam had accepted what had happened to him, but seeing the man before him like that… It gave it new meaning.

"Are you… Is that you?" Cyborg asked.

Adam blinked a couple of times before understanding that people who knew him probably would be surprised to see him breathing.

"Cyborg… I…"

He looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I died, didn't I?"

Cyborg stared a bit before nodding solemnly.

Adam chuckled at this, no humor behind it.

"Then kill me."

Cyborg looked taken aback. Adam looked at him calmly.

"I shouldn't be alive." The calm façade banished and soon Cyborg saw new tears. "I… I don't…"

Then Adam fell on the ground.

"ADAM!" Cyborg cried, reaching out towards him.

And saw the line leaving his ear.

He followed it and there stood Terra, Gauntlet, Beastboy and Savior. The last one had his finger stretched out.

"You two know each other?" The white-carved inquired. Cyborg glared at him for a moment before deciding it was just Noel being Noel.

"Yes."

"Should I let you take him to prison or som--?"

"We are taking him to the tower."

Savior blinked.

"What?"

"We are taking him to the tower." The metallic hybrid repeated.

"Cyborg, do you realize what you are saying?" Savior asked. Behind him, Terra and Gauntlet shared his confused expression.

Beastboy did not.

"Cy's right." He said.

Savior glanced at him.

"Well, then we are taking him." Cyborg stated. Noel seemed ready to complain. "Savior, we are taking him. And I'm using my authority as co-leader to out-veto any problems you may have with this."

Noel's gaze darkened, but he kept quiet.

"Terra, can you carry him to the tower?" Cyborg asked.

The girl seemed taken aback by this.

"Um… Sure…" She said, glancing at her teammates. She then took off.

Gauntlet jumped on the rock with her, too confused to think of something to say. And Beastboy morphed into a bird and flew after them.

That only left two.

"Let's see…" Savior started. "Beastboy reacted jumpy when we finished out conversation over the communicators, saying he'd first help us then he'd run after the kid. Raven told us she couldn't come this time, that these news required her to check the magical realm for something she didn't specify. And you, you seem quite eager to talk to him. I'm willing to bet that if Robin and Star had been here, they would have reacted just as strangely. What am I not being told?"

Cyborg took out a key and pressed the button that summoned the T-car.

"We are not keeping anything from you, Noel." He stated, the car hovered above them and started to descend. "You just didn't read his file."

"I've read the files of all living enemies we have…"

"Exactly." Cyborg said, cutting him off. "Let's go."

Savior's eyes narrowed. He now had an idea of what was going on.

He got in the car and then both teens drove into the distance. Towards the 'T' shaped tower.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Damnit, this took too long to write. And so, the plot develops. Let's see where it ends up, eh?_

_P.S. Enough information for you to grasp, Bloodredsandman?_ _:D_


	3. Herrenvolk: Second chance

**Chapter 03: Second chance.**

"He's _dead_?" Terra asked incredulously.

"Was." Cyborg nodded.

"He obviously isn't anymore." Raven commented. She had met her friends when they arrived back at the tower and had reacted to Adam with the same surprise as Cyborg and Beastboy. "Though whatever means were used to bring him back, they weren't magical. I was scanning the magic realm for any disturbances while you were gone and found none. No spell did this."

"Well, at least we know he wasn't brought back to be a tool of the apocalypse or something like that." Robert pitched in. "How corny would that be?"

And so the author hit himself for having ever considered that possibility two years ago. Yes, by the way, I seriously thought of doing it like that at one time. Freaking stuism.

"That doesn't change the fact the he is back, Rob. This could seriously mean trouble." Cyborg replied.

"Adam Matthews, aka Metatron. Male. Age 19. Level 6 threat. Status, deceased. Slade Wilson's apprentice shortly after Robin, the leverage being his sister, Aura Matthews, also deceased… Robbery, kidnapping, destruction of public property, endangerment of human life… He met his end due to an overdose of the poisonous substance known as the Burning Death, while fruitlessly attempting to kill his former master." Savior read outloud, skimming through Metatron's file. "Do they _ever _stay 'deceased'?"

"Well, technically, Murdercrow _was _dead. She was a ghost." Beastboy pointed out.

"A ghost that almost killed you all, Gar." Savior countered. He flipped a page and kept reading. "This guy doesn't seem so bad compared to many others we have fought."

"Back then, he was." Raven replied.

"We were still green when he came around." Cyborg agreed. "While _he_ had a fairly better grasp on his abilities. He was, all in all, our first real enemy. Most of the others were never a true threat and the ones who were didn't take us seriously. He did. The best weapon he had going for him was that he was very human, willing to try anything and everything as long as he could get away and keep Aura safe."

"Which he did. No matter how crazy it sounded. Or how it could just as easily blow up on his face." Beastboy commented with somewhat of a grim smile. "Literally: He once jumped into a storm of explosives Robin threw at him, grabbed one, and threw it back the way it came from. Tim still can't figure out how he did it. I don't think Adam knows either."

"The kid was also our first step towards being a competent team." Raven added. "He was our first failure. Before him many had gotten hurt, but none had died. The fact that he did hit us hard."

"Especially Robin." Cyborg continued the overall explanation. "He sort of obsessed over it for a while."

The three newest Titans nodded as they absorbed the information they were given.

"So, what do we got on his return?" Beastboy asked.

"He came out of the same church the robed men were fleeing from." Terra responded quickly. "It was pretty much destroyed when the building collapsed but I saw traces of machinery under all the rubble. They probably had their base of operations under it, without anyone knowing."

"They've brought so many people back from death before using technology, they could have their own little army." Gauntlet chimed in. "What's one more for them?"

"Yes, Vanity was an example of what they can do with a dead body." Raven muttered distastefully. "They probably attempted the same with Adam, but his demonic body granted him more resistance to it than the girl's. His mind remained intact, though extremely rattled and confused because of the process."

"That certainly explains why he tried to kill us." Gauntlet responded, rolling his eyes.

"He had no intention of killing you, Rob." Raven replied. "He just wanted you out of the way at all means. The only one he wanted dead was Slade, trying to convince himself he hadn't died, that the man was still waiting for death in the same place he had left him."

"Well, isn't that kind of childish?" Terra asked. Her nose had been snapped back to place by the Shimmer, and the process had hurt almost as much as having it break in the first place, so she resented the captured teen.

Cyborg glanced at her. "Think about it, the trauma of being brought back like that is immense, Tara. You refuse to accept you've died, that you've been gone for five years. The stress is too much so you find yourself clinging to the belief that it's not true, that everything is still the same. Until the brain is capable of assimilating the information, at least. You would have handled it the same way, if not worse."

Terra seemed embarrassed for a second, so Beastboy came to the rescue for her.

"So, if that cult did this…" Beastboy started, looking at his teammates and trying to decide whether they were thinking the same thing. "Does that mean…?"

"Alphonse Esther was behind it, yes." Savior, glancing at the green-skinned teen over the file he was reading. "I questioned some of the captured men and they confirmed it."

All the people in the room instantly looked at him. Savior knew that look.

"I didn't hurt them." He said defensively. More looks. "…They'll repress the memories soon enough."

At this point all of his teammates groaned. He always did this.

"Or I'll just remove them." Savior shrugged.

With a sigh, Cyborg picked up the discussion from where it left off. "So, where's Bish?"

Savior looked crossed. "He's nowhere to be found. The police searched his home, job and usual hang-outs. They came up empty-handed. He's gone."

"Are you sure he even made it out of that place?" Terra asked.

"He did." Beastboy responded. "The police found no bodies and Adam is not powerful enough to simply blast someone out of existence."

Savior checked the file. "It says here he displayed that kind of fire power during his last fight with Slade."

"He was under the influence of the poison at the time." Raven replied. "It kills by heating the body until it is literally cooked alive. However, it presented the side effect that Adam's abilities are dependent on his body heat. Until the harmful effects kicked in, the heat gave him an incredible boost in his powers. One he didn't question until it was too late."

Her boyfriend nodded in understanding.

"There's no way the poison is still active, is there?" Gauntlet asked.

"If it were, you'd be dead. And so would he, by now." Cyborg replied simply.

"And Bish would _still_ be out there, walking freely." Savior commented in disgust.

"For now, we have other problems." Cyborg said. "Like what to do with Adam."

"Well, if his mind has stabilized by the time he wakes up, then we could… probably…" Savior trailed off as he continued reading the file. He went back and read it again. Then he glared at Cyborg. "…He _killed _his parents?"

"WHAT?" Both Gauntlet and Terra replied unison.

The other three, however, grimaced.

"He is the prime suspect, yes." Cyborg responded.

"But we don't think he did it." Beastboy finished.

Savior stared at his teammates, studying them. "Do you have any solid grounds for this statement?"

"We don't. But concrete proof of his guilt is also lacking." Raven replied. Savior turned to her with the same expression. "We fought him, Noel. Over our fights, we knew how he thought, and acted. The concept of killing disturbed him. I could feel it. I'm an empath, remember? There _was _malice in there, but not murderous rage."

"His last order from Slade had been to kill us." Beastboy pointed out. "And for his sister, he tried, almost did it. But he was panicking all the time through it, trying not to break down. He seemed very alienated by it, like he had never killed before. If he had killed his parents, why would this bother him so much? If it hadn't, chances are he might have accomplished the task."

Savior still remained elusive as to what he was thinking.

"There was the chopper." Cyborg commented, in deep thought. "There's no denying he tried to kill _them_. If he hadn't, he would have likely died, but there's still the fact that he did it."

Gauntlet looked conflicted. "Guys, we have too much to go on in here, all pointing to different directions. We need to decide what to do with him. And we need something valid to back up our decision. And we need to do it soon! I don't want to keep acting serious for so damn long!"

The Titans rolled their eyes. However, the agreed that a decision needed to be made.

"Didn't he used to live in a lot of places before coming here?" Terra asked. She had also scanned Adam's file before Savior, but hadn't nearly paid as much attention, hence missing some important details. Including his parents' murder.

"Yes, he was a nomad." Raven confirmed. Those words sparked something in Beastboy's mind.

"Hey, guys, he once lived in Gotham, right? Before coming here?" Everyone turned their attentions on him, some nodding. "Well, then. Batman is there! If Adam was truly guilty, he would have done something about it, right?"

Savior nodded. "Most likely, which is a big point in his favor." Then his expression hardened thoughtfully. "But not even Batman can keep track of _every _crime."

"True." Cyborg agreed. "But Adam was… _is_ a metahuman, Noel. Batman keeps a close watch on those when they enter his City. Especially when this one is accused of murder of his own parents when he was 13."

Gauntlet and Terra stared.

"Yes, that's when it happened." Cyborg said with a sigh.

Noel seemed to debate with himself for a few moments. "…I'll keep any judgment in reserve. For now." He looked around at the rest of the team. "But we have to make him realize that it's been five years and his sister is dead."

"He knows that." Cyborg said. "He seemed to realize it before you knocked him out. And while he didn't take it well, I think he accepts it."

"He _knew _that." Savior corrected. "The mind is very delicate in situations like this, Victor. He might come to accept the truth when he wakes up, _or _he might have another theory concerning us lying to him and trying to keep him from saving her. It's unlikely, but it can happen. I'd rather avoid a relapse."

There were some murmurs of agreement. And then the sound of door opening.

"Well, whatever you may have in mind, I suggest you be ready to do it soon. He will recover consciousness in no less than three minutes." A new, rougher voice said as the figure entered the room.

This one was considerably taller than the others, and the most peculiar looking as well. He wore an orange-red jacket with matching pants, and a white shirt with an strange buttoning design underneath (it was in a zig-zagish pattern). Also a purple cape was clipped to his jacket, giving him a strange look of nobility. To top it all off, he also wore a cowboyish hat of the same color as his jacket.

But that was not where his odd appearance ended; he didn't look entirely human, more like a vampire of sorts: He had light gray skin with protuberant pointy ears stretching at each of his face, and a fanged set of teeth that would make many people nervous. His hair was of a blue only slightly lighter than the one on Savior's shirt and it grew down to his shoulders, his eyes looked line something out of a negative as the white had been replaced by black with blue pupils; and finally, he only had three fingers and toes for each extremity, all of them composed by a notoriously sharp metal.

This guy was Nigicalnack Hastionfarlock, aka Nigel Hastings, aka Scalpel; the very last member to have joined the team. Like Starfire, he was an alien; but he belonged to the Blacktranian race, which craved war and fighting. Nigel was the oddball of his people: Though his appearance may make some people fear or even hate him, the Titans all knew better; Nigel was probably the most caring and good-hearted member of the Team, surpassed only by Starfire. Maybe.

Where had he been while the Titans dealt with Adam? Well, he had taken some time to spend the day with his girlfriend, Sophie Mathews, the local undertaker. He would have run to their aid in a heartbeat had he been called, but Savior rejected the idea, thinking they could handle it by themselves and that Nigel deserved some alone-time with Sophie. Scalpel had been irritated at Savior's decision, but had quickly decided that what Adam had done to the Shimmer was punishment enough (indeed, Noel's arm would be sore for about two weeks).

Then, being the Titan's doctor, he had spent the last few minutes tending to Adam. Having finished that, he joined his friends on the meeting room, his superior hearing having allowed him to listen to everything that had been said.

"Right. Do you think he'll still be acting like he's rabid when he wakes up?" Savior questioned. Of all the Titans, he respected Nigel the most.

"I can't say for certain." Nigel responded, shaking his head.

"Ok," Savior turned to the rest, "who's going to talk to him?"

He blinked when everyone stared at him, even Raven.

"Look, he doesn't know me. He knows you guys." He said, looking at the members of the original five that were in the room.

"All too well." Cyborg replied with a small smile. "He tore a hole through my stomach."

Savior stared at that before Raven spoke up.

"Noel, we have history with him. That might influence our final decision in what to do with him. We need an impartial party handling this, and well, Tara and Rob are not a good choice for it: Their skills are poor at this sort of thing."

"Hey!" Terra protested. Gauntlet was busy trying to keep himself… busy.

Savior sighed, defeated. "Ok, fine. How's my will, Victor?

Cyborg retrieved a paper from a compartment on his arm. "Hmm. I get all your worldly possessions, Rob gets Raven, etcetera, etcetera. Yep, everything is in order."

"W00t!" Gauntlet shouted.

"Robert gets a _chance _at Raven." Noel corrected as he stood up, ignoring the blond teen. "And probably not much of one."

Then he left.

And Gauntlet scooted over closer to Raven.

Then quickly retreated when the girl gave him her best glare.

* * *

"…Ugh…" Adam blinked slowly, feeling as if all his strength had left him. "…My head… Wha…?"

He tried to grab his head on reflex, and realized he couldn't move it. His eyes snapped open when he realized he couldn't move any part of his body. He groaned when he saw he was sitting on a metallic chair and that his arms and legs were being restrained by _its _arm and legs.

The restraint on his arms covered his entire hands, making it looks as if they had gotten stuck in metal buckets; his legs had a simpler pair of metal ankle-cuffs immobilizing them. He tried struggling a bit before giving up, he couldn't break through them: They were the same restraints Cyborg had used when Batman had captured him.

_Cyborg._

His expression became blank as all the memories of all that had happened swiftly flooded his mind. His head hung down as he tried to push the pain away to no avail.

_He should have killed me._

He bit his lip as he fought back a sniff. He really had fail. He really was worthless. He really didn't deserve to live after all.

_Dad was right after all…_

"…You are a fucking bastard, you know that?" He said to no one in particular. "No one deserves this kind of shit… No one…"

Interesting species, us humans. When animals are in pain, their action is simply to run away from it, or kill it. When humans are in pain, they needed something – ANYTHING – to blame it on. Usually, that something was God, the creator of all existence and to whom our lives are just part of a bigger, much grander plan: Why God? Why did you allowed this to happen? Do you hate me? Yadda, yadda. And as Cyborg had previously stated, Adam was very human. He was in pain. He needed someone to blame.

This time, the one at fault in mortal eyes was not God.

_Coward… You are running away again. _

"It was Slade…"

You can no longer fool yourself after enough time passes.

_It was YOU! Damnit, grow up already!_

Five years worth of time should be enough… Right?

Adam didn't even fight it this time. Once more, he wept. He didn't hear the door open. He didn't hear the footsteps. He didn't hear anything. He just kept crying. In the end, he only noticed he was no longer alone when he saw the white boots stop in front of him. He lifted his watery and groggy eyes and saw the strange figure looking back at him with serious eyes. Adam recognized the hair style.

"…Gohan?" He asked in some confusion. He had seen a guy with eerily similar blond hair on a TV show he used to watch as a kid.

The man blinked a couple of times before smirking a bit.

"Well, I suppose it's more original than what I usually get." He said.

Adam's eyes cleared up enough to realize that no, this was not Gohan. Though the hair was similar, it was white instead of blond; and the face was different as well. However, he still recognized him; he was one of the kids he had fought today.

"You…" He asked, examining him. "Are you…?"

Savior did not respond, but his body language was saying 'I'll live, though do that again and you won't.' He then took out Adam's file and dropped it at his feet.

"Adam Matthews," Savior started once again, reciting everything he had told his friends. "…Deceased." Adam flinched at the last word as his eyes met with Savior's. "Congratulations Adam, you win the most recent round of the reincarnation lottery."

The imprisoned teen's eyes darkened. He tried to take his mind off the subject and looked around the room. It was square and metallic, his chair was at the very center and there was a large mirror attached to one of the walls. Chances are it was a two-way mirror.

"…Where am I?"

"Titans Tower. I don't believe you were ever actually inside the building but you were once in the island."

Adam's eyes fell on Savior. "Are you a Teen Titan?"

"Yes. Though the 'Teen' part is used loosely. Some of us are twenty now."

"…Where is he?" Some details were foggy, but he remembered one of the things Bish had told him: The Teen Titans were the reason for Slade's recent absence, so they must know where he is.

"Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke the Terminator, is in a brain dead coma for the moment. I don't know where he is. Besides, you can't kill him." Noel threw a file at Adam. "He's immortal."

Adam stared at the file as his eyes narrowed. "Is this a joke?"

"No. Keep the files, I doubt you'll be restrained forever so you'll have a chance to skim through them when you aren't."

"…You know where he is."

"I was under the impression I said I didn't."

"You are lying."

"Sure, kid. Believe that."

Adam glared at him but Savior wasn't fazed. He relaxed with a sigh and his gaze fell back to the ground. Savior waited and true enough, Adam looked back up after a couple of seconds.

"Just who the hell are you?"

"I go by Savior."

"…Isn't that a bit pr…?"

"Yeah, yeah, pretentious, I've heard it before." Savior interrupted, waving a hand in annoyance. Then he looked at Adam, raising a brow. "Metatron, the highest caste of angel. Pot, kettle, black."

"The irony in it was that I'm a demon, 'Savior'" Adam countered. Nothing like a guy who annoys you to make you temporarily forget your pains.

"I felt that was overkill." The white-garbed teen replied calmly. "Anyway, Adam, You can't kill Slade. Murder is murder and I don't believe in jury nullification."

"Well, that just changes my mind, doesn't it?" Adam growled.

Savior's eyes narrowed. "You are not killing him, kid. What's done it's done and you have to accept it."

"**_WHAT DO YOU KNOW?_**" Adam roared, his features morphing into their demonic state. He didn't jump at Savior simply because he couldn't. "WHAT, YOU THINK YOUR FUCKING WORDS OF WISDOM ARE GONNA CHANGE MY MIND? **SCREW YOU AND YOUR GODDAMN MORALS! **A GIRL IS DEAD! WHERE'S THE JUSTICE FOR HER? **_WHERE'S THE LEVERAGE! YOU GODDAMN HYPOCR—argh!_**"

Adam panted as the Shimmer strand retreated from his ear, having done its job of sending a jolt of pain through his body to stop his outburst. Now Savior looked solemn.

"Aura Matthews is _dead._" Savior growled, Adam glared at him but kept silent. "She's _not _coming back. You may have, but that was out of chance. Even if you tried to bring her back the same way you were, we'd stop you. These things are not meant to happen. Not that you could do it, you don't have the knowledge. She is gone. Killing the murderer will accomplish nothing but forcing us to hunt you down and make you pay for it. You tried to save her, but you just couldn't. Deal with it, Adam. There's nothing else you _can_ do. Yes, it's cruel and it's arbitrary and either way IT WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING."

Adam hung his head again in silence. Savior let him rest and assimilate the information.

"Then kill me."

Savior was not surprised; he had expected it to pop up eventually. "No."

"Why not?" Adam hissed, looking up at him. His eyes were watery once again. "You said it yourself. 'These things are not meant to happen'. Well, it happened and here I am. Be the damn hero and kill the threat to your city."

"You are being restrained on a chair that you have no chance breaking out should none of us release you. You are no threat to anyone, Adam." Savior replied. Then his expression went from calm to intense. "As cruel as the reasons and the past is, you have been given a second chance. I'll hold off until I see how you use or waste it."

"I didn't _want _a second chance." Adam muttered.

"Yet you got one." Savior said. "Nothing more to do except make the best of it."

Adam stared at him for a few moments. "Are you the new Robin or something?

"I'm the current co-leader of the Teen Titans, who you apparently had a run-in with an eternity ago. But no, I'm not the next Robin. The last one still has that title." Savior replied.

"…New Nightwing?"

"No."

"Azrael?"

"No."

"…You are the ugliest Batgirl I have ever seen." Adam finally said.

Silence.

"ARGH!" The kid panted as he was rewarded with 8 seconds of pain, courtesy of the Shimmer.

"Cute. Don't be a smartass, Adam." Savior warned. "I am the one who decides what to do with you, after all."

Adam panted weakly. "I don't think you can legally do that little trick…"

"We have complete jurisdiction of the island." Savior said. "It's legal if we say it's legal."

"You know, you take a _little _too much after Batman." Adam glared.

"I am a would-be disciple of the Bat." The other answered.

"Willingly?"

"Willingly."

"…You've got some issues, pal."

"Likely." Savior shrugged. "Now… We have a problem. You have nowhere to go, and I'd loathe putting you in prison… Yet I don't really want you hanging around here after you tried to kill me and two of my teammates, not recognizing us aside."

"Ever considered just setting me free and let me have a peaceful life?"

"This coming from the guy who was asking for death no less than ten minutes ago?"

"…You make it really hard to provide a case, Savior." Adam muttered, smirking bitterly. "…You are one co-leader. Who's the other one?"

"Cyborg."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "And Robin is…?"

"Away." Savior said in a tone that told Adam he wouldn't be getting anymore than that.

The kid's gaze fell to the ground. "Then don't worry about what to do with me. Bat's kid won't be too happy about me being back, so he'll probably give me capital punishment or something as soon as he sees me."

"Oh? Why?"

"Your leader obsesses over those few who have bested him." Adam's left eye glanced upwards while the other one closed. "You should know that."

Savior stood silent for a couple of seconds, staring. He admitted that Adam _did _have a point, but Robin had grown a lot compared to how he acted on Adam's time.

And that hadn't exactly helped him with Nigel…

"If he goes too far, I'll have a talk with him." Savior muttered, more to himself than to Adam.

"Heh." Adam said, shaking his head. "Savior, I'm the guy you almost killed your team. What's with the Good Samaritan act? You looked a lot worse than the other two when I left you."

_Sht-iank!_

A Shimmer blade stopped barely a centimeter from Adam's eye. He gaped for a second before involuntarily trying to jump back in surprise, but was stopped by the chair that negated such movement. So he settled for staring at Savior, now with some fear.

"The blade pierces through your eye and stabs your brain. You're dead." The white-garbed teenager narrated. "I told you not to be a smartass."

The strand retracted back into his palm.

Adam glared, trying to hide his previous fear. "Funny." He growled. "You didn't try anything like that when I could move."

"I allow every new one a small amount of mercy." Savior explained. "You used up yours."

The boy's eyes snapped open at the words.

"…Mercy? **MERCY?**" Adam exploded. "I go through hell and back, LITERALLY, see two bastards kill the only two people I have ever loved and then one of them gets to kill me too! I'm pulled back and get to relive the fucking pain of the loss FOR THE SECOND TIME; and then I'm brought here and told that you are gonna decide whether I live, die or spent my new damned existence imprisoned in a cell! **_AND YOU SAY YOU ARE BEING MERCIFULL? _**Oh, yeah, and let's not forget that while this is all happening, the goddamn sonuvabitch who put me in this position, who did thousands of crimes that no one forced him to, is in some hospital, being taking care of, while probably dozens of medics are trying to feverishly **_NURSE HIM BACK TO HEALTH!_**" He stopped for a second, panting for air. "…If you don't think that is the biggest amount of hypocrisy ever conceived, then you are a dreamer."

The man before him stared for a couple of moments. He had not used the Shimmer to stop him this time, figuring he needed his outburst. He had also noticed the straining sounds coming from his restrainer while Adam screamed. Savior knew for a fact that he wouldn't be breaking out of them, but due to the efforts, he wouldn't be surprised if his fists were bloody, full of cuts and wounds.

"Oscar Wilde said it best, Adam." Noel finally replied, with just a hint of bitterness. "Society often forgives the criminal. It never forgives the dreamer."

And then he turned around and walked towards the door.

"…Where are you going?" Adam asked.

"To consult with my teammates and make my decision." Savior answered, opening the door. "I've heard all I needed to hear."

And, once again, Adam was alone.

"…Bloody perfect." He muttered. "My life is in the hands of a quoter."

* * *

"Well?" Beastboy asked as Savior exited the interrogations room.

Adam had been right to assume the mirror on the wall was two-way. The other Titans had been standing there the whole time, listening to the conversation between the two metahumans. Some were surprised Savior hadn't brought up the murder of Adam's parents. Others weren't.

"We have a quandary." He replied, turning to Cyborg. "Is he still wanted for his crimes? Was he ever?"

"That's the thing." Cyborg responded, pulling out a couple of formal documents from a compartment on his arm. "He was wanted for the murder of his parents, _and_ for the crimes against Jump City while he was under Slade's wing. But he was absolved of all felonies when he died."

"So we can hardly try him." Savior said to himself. In the back of his mind, he reminded himself to tell Adam he didn't have to worry about spending life in jail. Yet.

"The government did not expect him to come back." Raven explained. "Neither did we."

"But if we release him," Savior reasoned, "he'll just go after Slade, or, failing that, try to commit 'suicide by superhero'."

Gauntlet stared at that. "Did you just make that up?"

"It's a variant of 'suicide by cop'." Savior responded, waving his hand impatiently. "Someone will go out and commit a crime when his or her real intention is to get the cops to shoot them before they seemingly hurt someone. In this case, Adam would be that someone and we would play the part of cops."

"…Why would we use guns?" Gauntlet asked.

"…Huh?"

"You said we'd shoot him. We have powers! Why don't we use them instead of guns?"

"…Please tell me you are being this stupid on purpose."

"Of course I am! Do you have any idea how hilarious your facial expressions are when you are gravely annoyed?"

Savior was stopped from chocking the life out of Gauntlet when Raven's voice penetrated his mindset.

"I don't think he would try suicide."

The Titans turned to their half-demon friend; she was staring at Adam intently through the two-way mirror, her eyes glowing slightly.

"I can sense that he'd be too afraid to go through with it." She finished.

"Yeah, but making US kill him? He might just be crazy enough to try it." Noel debated.

"Wouldn't be the first time either…" Beastboy sighed in agreement.

"Er…" Terra commented, seeing the conflict on her teammates' eyes. "Should we wait for Robin to help us decide?"

"NO." Cyborg, Raven and Beastboy replied in unison.

Savior stared at them with a concerned expression. "I hope I won't have to force Robin off the team again because he can't look past his own issues." He commented.

"He did with Slade. He will with Adam." Raven stated firmly. "But he's probably not ready yet."

"Well, this is all fine and good…" Gauntlet said. "But it doesn't solve our main issue: WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE CRAZY KID WITH THE BAD DYE JOB?"

Silence followed as all the Titans attempted to come up with a proper solution. Finally, Nigel spoke up uncertainly.

"What if we simply… Let him go?" He suggested.

His teammates glanced at him, unsure what to make of it.

"Not all people can be trusted like that, Nigel." Beastboy responded. "Adam is not really a criminal, but he _is _dangerous."

"I know." The alien responded. "What I meant was that we let him go and then keep an eye on him, see what he does. We were already tailing Alphonse Esther anyway; with him gone, we can just tail Adam instead."

Savior looked uncertain. "Well… It's an idea… What do you think, Victor?"

"I think it's good enough to use democracy to decide." Cyborg replied.

Noel nodded.

"Well, I guess we vote guys. Raise of hands."

* * *

The door slid open. Adam lifted his head and saw the seven Titans come in.

Well, they've been busy while I was gone, I'll give them that; he thought.

He recognized most, by name or simply because he had fought them during his crazy phase. When he noticed Scalpel, he predictably flinched a bit, but compared to most, he took in his image fairly well.

"I take it you made your decision?" He asked Savior, glancing at Nigel from time to time.

"Yes." He replied, then walked to him and, to Adam's surprise, released his restraints.

As suspected, his hands were bloody due to past efforts. Adam rubbed them slowly before looking at the Titans quizzically.

"Due to a five-to-two vote in your favor, we have decided to release you." Cyborg said.

"You will stay in one of the guest rooms until tomorrow morning, when we will help you find an appropriate place to live." Raven added.

"The room will not be locked." Savior finished. "But know this, Adam: Anything you may do, we will know. We are giving you a relative amount of trust. Break it, and you _will_ regret it."

Adam stared at them all with a bewildered expression. "What's the catch?" He finally asked.

"No catch." Scalpel answered. When Adam looked at him, he strangely didn't feel apprehensive anymore. In fact, he had a strange feeling that whoever this was, he had voted to set him free. "We are just giving you a second chance."

"So don't blow it." Gauntlet advised with a grin. "Or you'll find that underneath this stunningly good looks, there's a lion waiting to be released."

The confused demon blinked at Gauntlet's horrendous attempt at banter, not sure what to make of it.

"Ignore him." Savior said, turning around. "And follow me."

"Er…" Adam got up shakily. "Can I get some pants first?"

He was still on the same 'outfit' as before.

Most Titans blinked, they too had forgotten of that fact till now. Savior, however, reached the door and pulled out a pair of black cargo pants, then threw them at Adam. Apparently he had had them ready and waiting.

Adam quickly pulled the pants on and followed Savior. He stopped next to Terra, noticing the dark marks around her nose made by dried blood.

"…Listen, sorry about the…" He signaled to her face.

The girl shrugged and folded her hands. Adam had the suspicion that unlike Scalpel, _she _had been one of the two to vote against him; but he pushed the thoughts to the back on his mind and continued on.

He and Savior finally reached a door two floors above the previous one, and entered to find a plain room with a bed and a television.

"You'll sleep here for tonight." Savior explained. "TV has cable if you want, there's a bathroom behind that door. Don't wander off. The entire Tower has countless of alarm systems that will make your life hell should you look at them wrong." His eyes narrowed in warning. "Keep this in mind, Adam: We are NOT the Titans you fought five years ago. We are different, more experienced. With the element of surprise gone, you are of little threat to us. DON'T. TRY. ANYTHING."

"Gee, wonder who voted against me." Adam commented.

"That hardly matters now." Savior said, shrugging. "I suggest you take a shower. And a haircut and nail-cut might also be in order. You may have not aged, but other minor parts of your body were clearly chronologically active even in death."

It was at this point that Adam finally noticed how overgrown his nails were and that his hair almost reached his waist.

"Yeah… That might not be a bad idea…" He muttered.

"Good. That about covers it. Have a good night." Savior said, moving towards the door.

He stopped in front of it.

"Did you kill your parents?"

Adam froze at the question. He turned to find Savior staring at him with the same intense gaze he had had when he was questioning him. Savior didn't think his teammates' deductions were entirely wrong, but he wanted to ask. He had to.

Adam didn't falter his gaze.

"No." He said simply.

"Do you know who did?"

"…Yes."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"…It doesn't matter anymore." Adam replied. Then he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

"I see." Savior said.

And then he was gone. The Shimmer strand also retreated from Adam's ear, never noticed. Savior had not scanned his memories, deciding to respect the other teen's privacy; he had just been a human lie-detector.

And Adam had passed.

Not that it mattered to him as he got up from the bed and glared at the door.

He wished they had just chosen to kill him instead.

* * *

It was hard to tell how much time passed. It couldn't have been much because outside, the moon was still high in the sky. But it still felt like an eternity.

Adam had eventually followed Savior's advice and had taken a shower, along with taking care of other parts of his body. His hair remained intact, though; he had no idea how to get it back to its former size and didn't wanna risk a mohawk.

After all that had been done, he had laid on bed, planning to sleep. A considerable amount of time passed before he realized he wouldn't be getting any. And so he lay, not moving, barely breathing. With nothing to do.

"Hello, Metatron."

"GAH!" Adam yelped, jumping up from his bed and barely stopping himself from releasing an energy blast towards the voice. His fist glowed warningly, though.

He blinked a couple of times before his eyes adjusted to the darkness. There stood Robin, his costume the same as it had been five years ago, but the man wearing it was taller, and more mature. Adam had the inkling that if he picked a fight with him, it would go about as well as his fight with Batman went.

Which worried him, after all, they were alone in this room and who knew just how much Robin had truly matured. The fact that he stared calmly at Adam, without really giving his charged attack any importance was not entirely reassuring either.

"I thought that Savior guy said you were gone." Adam said hesitantly. His fist kept glowing, but mostly because he wanted some light on the room.

"I was. I got back from Gotham two hours ago with Starfire." Robin answered calmly. Adam felt his skin crawl, he didn't like the feeling he was getting as Robin stared. "The others put me up to date on what had happened. It seems like all lost enemies always come back at some time or another, don't they?"

Adam almost felt like backing away. Robin seemed to be taking a lot after his mentor. "Are you here to overrule your team's choice?"

"No. I respect their decision." Robin replied. "Mind cooling that off?" He motioned to Adam's still-glowing fist.

"…I'd rather not." The other answered truthfully.

"Cool it off, Metatron." Robin ordered, stretching his hand and flipping the light-switch. "Or I'll do it for you."

"…What do you want?" Adam growled, letting his energy flow back into his body.

"Let's be honest here," Robin answered, "I don't want you here and clearly you don't feel safe with me around, is that correct?"

"Yes." Adam said relunctantly.

"Well, then." Robin stated, reaching into his utility belt, much to Adam's alarm.

But he didn't take out a weapon. Instead he took out an enveloped and tossed it on the bed.

Curiosity on his eyes, Adam reached down for the envelope and peeked inside.

It was full of a considerable amount of American dollars.

He looked up at Robin in confusion.

"Get yourself a place to stay." The Teen Wonder said. "I trust you'll be able to take care of yourself after that, you've always had. I don't care what you do, but if it's illegal, we will be on your trail. Understood?"

The other narrowed his eyes: He was getting tired of being chewed up like this so much. But in the end, he nodded.

"Good. Goodnight, Metatron." Robin said, turning to the door.

"…My name's Adam." Adam blurted out as Robin reached the doorknob. "I don't ever want to be Metatron again."

The teen glanced at him over the shoulder.

"…Very well. Goodnight, Adam." He opened the door and walked past it. "Welcome back."

Adam stood in place for a couple of seconds as he heard the steps leading away from his temporary room, before glancing at the money he now held.

He smirked. "Well played, Bat-boy."

And then he swung the window open.

* * *

The next morning came with few surprises. Robin came down for breakfast and found Savior and Raven already there, drinking their tea. As usual.

Soon after, Starfire arrived, blindly searching for her morning coffee.

"Morning, Fearless." Savior greeted. Raven simply nodded.

"Hey guys." He said, opening the fridge in search of something that would stir his appetite. "What's on the agenda today?"

"City's quiet for a change." Raven muttered, stretching out her empathic abilities and sensing tranquility among most individuals in Jump City. The place where the most stress was concentrated was an area of town she recognized as the newspaper office. After yesterday's incident, it wasn't all that surprising.

"So that leaves us plenty of time to decide where the proper place to drop off Adam Matthews is." Savior commented, sipping his tea.

"Adam's gone." Robin said off-handedly.

Noel chocked on his tea, accidentally splattering it all over Raven. "W-what? He escaped?"

"No, I gave him some money to get his own place and told him to leave." Robin explained.

Silence.

"You did this without consulting any of us?" Savior asked through clenched teeth.

"You were asleep, Noel." Robin shrugged. "BESIDES," he started before Savior could interrupt, "I did simply what you were going to do. I gave him the money needed to begin to construct his new life and I let him go. With all his crimes absolved, we couldn't legally hold him anyway."

"That's bullshit, Tim. And you know it." Savior hissed. "The whole purpose of it was to be able to keep an eye on him. You just did it because you don't want him around."

"I admit that's true, Noel." Robin acknowledged. "I do have some issues with Adam and am probably not ready to look past them yet, but the truth is that it's better this way. If he truly was innocent as Raven and the others believe, then he'll go for the quiet life. If he's not, he'll do something and we'll bring him down. But for now, he's not our problem anymore."

Both Titans stared at each other for a few seconds before Savior sighed.

"So much for the plan to have him tailed." He muttered. "He could be in Metropolis for all we know."

"And if he is, he's no match for the local talent in there." Robin said and left.

Savior sighed once again.

"It's probably for the best, Noel." Raven commented, wiping her face off. "Now help me clean the mess you made."

Savior smiled and helped his girlfriend. And Starfire finally woke up.

"FRIENDS! I AM READY NOW! LET US DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH OUR ONCE DECEASED, NOW LIVING, FORMER NEMESIS!"

Both Savior and Raven facevaulted, waking the entire tower.

* * *

Philadelphia.

"Well, sir? How do you like it?" The chubby salesman asked.

Adam looked at the house indifferently. He was now wearing sneakers and a simple red t-shirt along with the pants Savior had given him.

"It'll do." He said. "I'll take it. You accept cash?"

"Yes, sir. Let me just get the paper work and you can start your new life here!" The chubby man said, running off.

"Yeah…" Adam commented, looking both grim and thoughtful. "New life…"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_And so the first arc is done. Sorry it took so long._

_I feel I should warn you, along with this, the next arc will also be mainly focused on Metatron, I'm not sure about the one after that yet, but the next one definitely. Just to give him the feel of really being back, you know? After that I start focusing on the rest of the Titans as a team._

_See ya next arc: LIGHTS OUT._


	4. Lights Out: Light shines

**Chapter 04: Light shines.**

Star City.

Not as well known to the world as others, bigger metropolises such as Gotham or Metropolis (no pun intended). But its lack of media attention does not mean that this city is without trouble. Corruption develops everywhere, no exceptions.

And in response, local talent was brought up as defense: The Green Arrow, archer extraordinaire, protector of Star City.

However, as the pro and reasonably well known hero ran around on building tops, scanning for crime, his mind wasn't completely on task. He had others matters distracting him. The main one being the young girl by the name of Mia Dearden.

The new Speedy.

Yeah, sure, those east kids had that one boy with the red suit. But a bow, an arrow and some talent did not a Speedy made. It was the drive. A drive Green Arrow knew for certain Mia had.

Though that didn't stop him from worrying about her. Sure, that drive might get her out of ugly situations and it might even allow her to face the ugly side of humanity and not blink… But could it allow her to survive a weekend with other teenagers?

Green Arrow did not know, teenagers could be very rowdy.

_Sure wish there was someone I could ask about their opinions on these things. _He thought, as he spotted a thief through the roof-window of a jewelry. _I mean, it would help. Though none of the Titans have living parents I know of that can relate to this. And I sure as hell ain't calling Batman for a pep-talk._

He took a net-arrow and cocked it back as he opened the window silently.

_Then again, a weekend at Titans_ _Tower_ _might be good for her… She could use the friends. And if she becomes a member, that's all the better. I mean…_

"DON'T MOVE, SLIMEBAG!"

The net-arrow flew true and trapped the robber, forcing him into the ground. He fruitlessly tried to escape for a couple of minutes, but the archer wasn't worried. He calmly jumped down next to him and continued his thought process.

…_It's not like it could go completely balls up. Hmm… Maybe it's a good thing I'm not talking to anyone about this, they might have gotten the wrong idea when I suddenly called them a slimebag. _He reasoned with a smile.

Movement to his left.

He wasn't quick enough to turn around in time: The blinding, burning light slammed against his back, crashing him against the wall with a scream.

"…Aw, hell…" He groaned weakly. That had been some attack.

Dim footsteps told him his attacker approach. He saw the black boots first.

"I remember…" The man whispered.

Green Arrow struggled to look up. But he didn't need to, he recognized the voice.

"…What you did to me." He finished.

Green Arrow felt a stinging pain on the back of his head, and then he blacked out.

* * *

Jump City. 

"Scatter!" Robin yelled.

The Team did so as the truck came crashing down on their spot.

"WEAKLING TITANS! NONE OF YOU COMPARE TO THE MIGHT OF ADONIS!" The scrawny armored kick gloated, his mechanical muscles flexing.

"You'd think that after three gods and a speed-force serial killer, this guy wouldn't even make us break a sweat!" Beastboy complained, morphing from bird to hippopotamus in mid-flight with every intent to crush the egoistical teen.

Unfortunately, his outburst had cost him the element of surprise: Adonis caught him without much trouble.

"Uh…"

"DENIED!" Adonis cried, throwing Beastboy yonder. Straight into Cyborg, sending them both crashing against the streets.

Whether this had been a tactical procedure or dumb luck was anybody's guess. Knowing Adonis, I'd think it was the latter.

"Oh GOD, make the horrible banter stop!" Gauntlet cried, landing in front of Adonis and using his talent as a springboard to crash both fist against the criminal's chin, one of the few unprotected parts of his body.

Adonis went flying into the sky, but he didn't stay airborne for long as Starfire tackled him like a bullet, both crashing against the ground. The alien girl didn't stop, readying herself for a blow to his face. The boy in the mechanical suit didn't give her the chance when he kneed her in the gut with enough strength to push the girl off him. Adonis staggered to his feet dizzily.

And the blade sank onto his side.

"Hello." Nigel smiled, actually tipping his hat to Adonis with his free hand, while the other was on the handle of his glaive.

And then with an insane amount of grace, he lifted the bladed weapon, Adonis still attached to it, and hurled/smacked them both around as a makeshift mallet. Then he got bored of that and simply threw Adonis against a fire-hydrant, spraying water all around.

"Not bad, Scalpel." Gauntlet smiled, running next to him even as the rest of the titans slowly recovered from their dizziness.

"I think we are just about done he—UFF!"

Nigel's statement was silenced by the remains of the aforementioned fire-hydrant crashing against his head, throwing him back.

"I guess we are not, then." Gauntlet muttered, turning back to Adonis. The teen had gotten up and had Scalpel's glaive at hand.

"Nobody beats Adonis!" The kid smiled arrogantly, and then hurled the weapon at Gauntlet, who braced himself.

The weapon flew various feet above his face. Gauntlet blinked as he heard rock loosen above him. And true enough, big parts of the building were falling on him.

"OH FOR GOD'S SAKE, THE HORSE IS DEAD!" He screamed, covering his head on reflex.

Moments without pain passed, so he ventured. The boulders were still there, but they weren't falling. The floated, with a golden outline around them.

"Very dead. Clearly we are not going to let it keep going." Terra said, as she floated down. Then she turned to Adonis. "HEY! THIS IS FOR MY TEARING MY GOGGLES!"

And with a little dance, all the boulders launched themselves at the boy.

"Where's Raven?" Gauntlet asked.

Terra shrugged. "We got hit by the same attack, but we flew in different directions. She may still be knocked out." Then she growled in annoyance as Adonis seemed to tear through the rocks almost effortlessly. This was happening way too often.

"Noel won't be happy." Gauntlet said

"We have bigger problems at the moment." The other commented, signaling to Adonis as he charged towards them.

Before being abruptly brought down by an explosive disk, a starbolt, and a sonic blast.

"No, we do not." Starfire said, descending next to them as Robin, Beastboy, Cyborg and a groogy Scalpel joined them. Nigel was being helped up by Cyborg.

"Nice timing for the dramatic entrance, guys." Gauntlet smiled. "But we are missing two."

"One." The shadows said, as they solidified into Raven. "Sorry, that last blow was harder than I expected."

"AND IT'LL GET WORSE, GIRLY!" Adonis roared, forcing his battered suit to move in a fit of rage.

The Titans braced themselves to bring him down once again before realizing the enemy wasn't getting any nearer to them. Adonis realized that fact as well two seconds later.

"Wha?" He stammered.

Then he was slammed on his back.

"You know why I _really _don't like you, asshole?"

White whips lashed out and wrapped around Adonis' metallic extremities, encasing him to the ground even as Savior jumped into the scene and crouched down on his metal torso, glaring.

There was a reason he was known as the tactician of the team: As soon as it had become apparent that Adonis would be more than average trouble, he had fallen back and waited for a good moment to strike. It had been especially hard to do after he had seen his girlfriend blown clear, but it had worked.

"You are the only one who has no motive. Not even an insane one." Savior growled, even as Shimmer strands popped out of his sides and started tearing apart the suit. "No, you are not on a holy crusade, nor are you being forced into this. Hell, you don't even need the money! You are just a spoiled rich kid who keeps trying to prove he's tough and trying to destroy our city for THE SAKE OF DESTROYING OUR CITY."

"You know, I find it unfair that he gets the most cool scenes out of all of the new kids." Gauntlet muttered to Terra and Scalpel, who both nodded in agreement.

Had Adam been there, he would have likely nodded as well.

"I'm SICK of it." Savior continued. Ignoring Gauntlet's comment, he carelessly continued destroying the mechanic wonder. "You are an annoying brat and if I ever have to deal with you again I will--**_ARGHHH!_**"

The Titans gasped as Savior was blown clear in a red flash.

"Savior!" Raven cried, rushing to his side.

"What the hell…?"

And then Adonis stood up, looking scared for the first time.

His abdomen area had been torn open by the Shimmer, revealing a strange, red amorphous substance swirling violently within it.

Robin recognized it: Synothium. The very unstable chemical that had once powered his Red X suit. And apparently it also powered Adonis' suit.

And caught in his rant, Savior had inadvertently upset the delicate balance it needed to keep itself from literally going boom.

"YOU IDIOT!" Adonis yelled in panic. "Do you realize what you've done? THIS THING IS GONNA BLOW WITH ME INSIDE IT!"

Silence as the rest of the Titans caught up.

And then Gauntlet cheered. "WOO-HOO! Cool moment ruined for Savior!"

His teammates swiftly screamed at him to shut the hell up.

"WHAT NOW, FEARLESS?"

Robin racketed his brains for ideas. For now, he would just make it up as he went. "RAVEN! Get him off that thing! We need to find a way to—"

And then the arrow stuck itself on Adonis' chest.

The Titans stared at the weapon as it suddenly hissed, letting off a bright flash that blinded them temperately.

When it died off, Adonis stood there, covered in ice. Along with the Zynothium, which had been frozen as well.

"Hey Titans." A new voice said. "Everyone cool?"

They all turned with a jerk to find a girl in a full dark-red body suit with a gold arrow in the middle of her chest. She also had a red mask that was thicker than Robin's, but with smaller eye-holes under a yellow hood from where a single blonde lock of hair was noticeable. Then add gold armlets and boots; and finally, a bow.

Only one of the Titans recognized her.

"…Hello, Speedy." Robin said in surprise. "Didn't expect you so soon…"

"Got in on an early flight." Speedy explained.

"…Speedy?" Beastboy asked, staring at the girl. "…Dude… I didn't know you… Er… Wanted to get that kind of operation…"

Speedy stared, confused.

Then Robin smacked the green boy. "This is not Titan's East Speedy! This is Green Arrow's sidekick! The one who's not being sued for using that name!"

Beastboy glared as he rubbed the sore spot on his head, muttering something about honest mistakes and such.

"…Uhh…" Speedy commented, eyeing Beastboy with somewhat of a glare. "I thought your team knew I was coming for the weekend today, Robin."

"We knew Speedy was coming and maybe joining the west branch of the Titans," Raven pointed out, "but we expected the Speedy we knew, from Titans East."

"He's not Speedy." The archer girl snapped. "He's just a spoiled kid who couldn't handle being told his truths!"

"Really?" Savior said, walking over. He was very testy after almost blowing up his friends, as well as probably this entire block, and saw the girl as the perfect object to misplace his annoyance. "Because I've heard of East's Speedy. However, I have no idea who you are. I think that says something."

"That you are not as well informed as everyone thinks you are?" Speedy spat back.

The girl instantly thought this Savior guy was an asshole. Shocker.

She already couldn't see herself working on the same team with a guy like him.

Robin stared from one to the other with a worried expression. _Uh oh… Change of subject is in order. _"Er… So, Speedy… What did you hit him with?" He asked, signaling to Adonis with his thumb.

"A…" Speedy continued to glare at Savior for a few moments, before finally turning to Robin. "Cryonic arrow."

"I'll say." Cyborg commented, as his eye scanned the ice covering Adonis. "Heliopoly-sulficate and restifreeze. NICE."

He beamed at Speedy, liking her already.

"Same chemicals Mr. Freeze uses." Robin muttered, eyeing the boy. "I take it that means that he's simply in stasis and will be perfectly ok once he thaws out, right?"

"Yes." Speedy replied, pulling back her hood and revealing long blonde hair tied in a ponytail.

_First time you are on the bat, don't miss the target. _Green Arrow had given her that single bit of advice before she came. It hadn't gone exactly as planned, but hey, she didn't miss.

"Nice guess." Savior said. It had meant to be as close as a compliment as he was willing to give for now, but the tone he used made it seem like an insult.

Speedy glared but didn't respond.

"I think the police can probably take it from here, Robin." Starfire commented.

"Right." Robin replied. "Cyborg, call for a pick-up, the effect of the arrow should last long enough for the trip to a secure location where the Zynothium can be contained. Everyone else, let's get back to the T-tower."

And so after a day's work, the teen heroes departed towards their oddly shaped via their vehicles or their talents.

_Well, maybe it won't be so bad. _Speedy reasoned from her seat on the T-car.

"Gauntlet, why are you staring at Speedy's chest?" Scalpel asked.

…_I hope you are happy, Ollie._

* * *

He wasn't. 

Green Arrow yelled as the scalding hot beam of light dug into his forehead for a couple of seconds. When it stopped, his head fell down, breathing heavily.

It was a dark room the one he was in. Which was strange: It was the middle of the day. It was as if the light had been somehow sucked out of this particular place. And as such, it was hard to make anything aside from the captured hero. He couldn't move, and upon closer examination, he looked like he was being held on what appeared to be a gigantic, deformed, stone sofa.

But it was hard to tell.

"You weren't exactly…" The hero started weakly. "…An innocent…"

"No, I suppose not."

Green Arrow wasn't alone. But whoever was in the room with him was also being hidden by the darkness of the place. Quite ironic, actually.

"But I had a taste for innocence." The voice continued, calm and full of hatred. "Your daughter is going to die."

A pause.

"I don't _have _a daughter, you idiot." Green Arrow spat.

"But you have Speedy." His captor replied. He was delighted to see the look of worry on his face. "You don't really believe I picked today out of a hat, did you?"

The man didn't respond as he struggled against his bindings with newfound strength. They completely no-sold it.

"I paid The Calculator good money to find out when your protégé was joining the Titans." The voice continued, not worried about Green Arrows struggles in the least. "And that's today."

"Leave the kids out of this." The hero spat, finally quitting his attempts.

Silence.

"The Justice League took my mind and fed me to their young." The voice growled, now very angry. "They made me a plaything to build their children's self-confidence. Don't you understand, Green Arrow?"

A brilliant glow came from the darkness, as if symbolizing its wielder's rage.

"You and the others… _YOU _put them in this. You put them right in the middle."

* * *

Philadelphia. 

"Help! ROBBER!"

The everyday, clichéd thief ran down the street, holding a purse in his hands.

And then he promptly fell on his face as a leg tripped him.

"Argh… What the hell…?" He groaned, rubbing his nose while attempting to get up.

It was then he noticed the purse was no longer on his hands. He turned around on the spot, looking for it on the ground.

He found it, but it wasn't on the ground. It was in the hand of a strange-looking teen, who was examining it curiously. He had long, mostly black hair and unusually hued eyes. He was wearing casual blue jeans and a simple white shirt, and had a McDonalds' (_para_ _pa pa pa, I'm loving it!_) ninety-nine cent smacker in his mouth.

He had also been the one who had tripped him, which angered the thief.

"Hey, you bastard!" He roared, getting up. "You think you are funny or somethin'? You wanna be a freakin' hero? GIMME THAT!"

He lashed out the fist.

And the kid ducked below its reach at the last second, still paying no mind at the robber. The man's eyes started bulging as the boy twisted himself and lifted his left foot, slamming it up so that it collided against the criminal's chin.

_BLAM!_

The unnamed thief fell flat on his back, unconscious.

"You know, I don't get you people." Adam commented, as he watching the man slip away into oblivion. "I mean, with all the metas running around in this country, you'd expect everyone to think twice before attacking a complete stranger that looks fairly odd."

He shrugged before his ears twitched: He heard rushed steps.

And true enough, a hefty woman soon appeared to his side, out of breath. She looked between him and the unconscious man in a mist of confusion and some fear.

"Oh, hello." Adam said, the woman looked a bit taken aback. He held up the purse "Is this yours?"

She nodded nervously.

"Right. Here."

She took the purse and stared at Adam quizzically. His wild, still untamed hair probably gave him the look of a hobo, he reasoned. He should really find some time to go to the barber shop.

"Take care." Adam said, eating his mini-burger in one bite and walking away.

He soon disappeared around the corner.

"Um… Thank you!" The woman quickly said after a while, suddenly realizing that that kid had helped him. Whether she was heard will remain unknown.

However, she still reached into her purse to fetch her make-up and try to make herself look presentable after her run. She noticed it instantly.

"…HEY! WHERE'S MY WALLET?"

This would make an interesting story for the police.

Blocks away, Adam paid his bill at McDonalds from a wallet that drew curious stares from the cashier, seeing as it wasn't exactly manly. And with the long hair that kind of gave him a feminine air… Conclusions were drawn.

Not that Adam cared about them as he walked out with a bag filled with more smackers. He looked at the wallet and sighed.

After a few weeks of being back to his hometown (yes, Adam had been born in Philadelphia), the money Robin had given him was finally thinning out. Pretty soon he'd have nothing left.

Maybe it was time to get his savings…

He certainly didn't like the idea of spending the rest of his life stealing money so he could buy food. He didn't like the idea of stealing, period. After he got enough money, he would find the woman and pay her back. …Probably.

"Yeah, I definitely need to go get the money…" He decided.

An eternity ago, Oracle had told Robin that Adam had wealth, wealth probably not gained illegally or Batman would have done something about it. Like most of the time, she had been right.

Adam possessed an immense amount of wealth, left to him by his grandmother on his mother's side. He didn't know much of her, aside from the obvious knowledge that she was dead (killed by a rival demon. Trigon, he believed) and had been a demon. A demon that hadn't liked the idea of her daughter giving up her powers to marry a human male.

_In the end, she was right to oppose their union. _Adam thought grimly.

As far as he could tell, the elder demoness foresaw the marriage's doom. Though probably not to its extreme. She also knew that with her daughter now a demon in soul only and human in any other way, she'd suffer if she were to be left alone in the world. So the demon prepared for the moment. She entered into human businesses and made a great fortune. Exactly how, Adam didn't know; but if he were to take what he'd heard his mother say of how dear grandma treated anyone who wasn't family, then it would have probably come at the cost of the suffering of many people. That had been the reason Lauren Constantine never touched the money given to her by her mother.

But then the disaster had happened. And only Adam and Aura had come out of it.

The 14-year-old boy had had no idea what to do; he didn't know how to protect Aura, even though he had promised to do so to the girl. He had remembered the money, and it was rightfully his now.

So he had gotten it all and hid it. Going back to its hiding place and getting as much as he needed for food, shelter, moving, and keeping people quiet. It had been a wise move to hide it: Banks or landlords would have probably gotten their hands on it after he had died, if they had known where it was.

And so, 5 years later, it would once again be of use to him. He had no lost love for his grandmother, but he couldn't deny that she probably had loved her mother deeply to go through all this trouble for her.

"…Well… Now's as good a time as any, I suppose." He muttered, looking at the sky.

He was not quite sure why he even went on. After all, he should be dead.

In the end, he had to admit he was too afraid to let himself die again. He wanted to keep on living as much as he could.

He sighed and made his way into the town. He knew where to go.

* * *

"Nice place." 

Speedy stood on the TV-room/game-room/kitchen of T-Tower. She had finally taken in Scalpel's appearance and the fact that she was inside a giant T, so sight-seeing was in order. Robin had taken it upon himself to show her around, deciding it was wise to deny Gauntlet that privilege.

"This particular floor is a bit mashed together…" Robin explained, "but it serves its purpose, and it's not the same everywhere else in the building."

"I see." Speedy nodded. Then stared at Starfire as she entered the kitchen, took out a bowl and started combining peculiar ingredients. One interesting combination was ice-cream with garlic powder. "What is she…?"

"Don't ask, Mia." Robin said with a smile. He knew Speedy's true identity and she did his. And Beastboy's, Cyborg's, Starfire's, Raven's, Scalpel's and Gauntlet's; but mostly because those were public knowledge. Terra had also given up her name.

Savior, however, had refused to reveal his real name until 'he felt the scarcely-known rookie could be trusted'.

Needless to say, Speedy's opinion of him being a jackass had tripled.

Something Robin seemed to be able to tell as they headed for the elevator. "Don't mind Savior. He's damn good at what he does, but his social skills are sort of lacking. He'll warm up… Eventually. Though don't expect a Kodak moment when he does."

"That goes without saying, Tim." Speedy replied, her lips curling at the mention of her least favorite Titan. "But… I see how you look at him. You guys respect him. If I just got here and am already in the wrong terms with him…"

"You'll be fine." Robin assured, pressing the button that called for the elevator. "Most never like him at first. And from them, most still don't. But they look past that after a few missions together. All in all, you are actually doing really well. If you want to see someone who truly rubs him the wrong way, wait enough and you'll see just how well Savior and Gauntlet get along."

_Ding!_

The door opened and they both got in.

"…I just…" Speedy began, hunting for the right words. "…Don't want to be the, y'know, 'annoying' member…"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Robin said. "Gar and Gauntlet both have dibs on that."

"Now they I like." Speedy laughed. "Especially Robert. …When he's not hitting on me."

Robin glanced at her. There was still a tone of insecurity on her voice.

"I know it's hard to find your place, Mia. As a young hero." Robin acknowledged. "Especially with someone like Green Arrow or…" he smirked, "Batman watching over you."

Speedy nodded.

"That's why Nightwing started the Teen Titans back when _he _was Robin." Robin continued. "Along with your predecessor and the first Kid Flash, Wonder Girl and Aqualad. So they could have a place where they could be themselves."

_Ding!_

The door opened and Robin walked out.

"There were many others who also took that name. But now, there's a new generation of Titans." He said. "And you are welcome to be part of it, Mia."

"Yeah, well… We'll see." Speedy commented sheepishly, walking out as well.

They were now in a room full of lockers with numerous insignias on them.

"Pool's down there." Robin pointed. "It's heated, but watch out if Beastboy uses it before you. Gar does laps as a penguin, keeps the temperature at fifty degrees. Your locker's…"

"…The one with the arrow." Speedy finished for him, pointing to said locker.

"Yep."

"There's… A lot of lockers." The girl commented.

"There's a lot of Titans in the world, Mia. But we don't all live on a tower shaped like a 'T'. Come on, let's see your room."

"My… Room…?" Speedy blinked, following Robin.

It was a pleasant bedroom, she had to admit. Nice bed, a desk, laptop, TV. Plus anything a teenager could possibly want.

"Cool." She said, looking at the books on the desk. They were her favorites.

"Green Arrow said you liked to read." Robin smiled.

Mia didn't hear him. She got distracted by seeing something shiny out of the corner of her eye. Across from here room there was a case with a considerable number of trophies.

She examined them. "Who won all of these?"

"I did." The voice that wasn't Robin said.

Both teens jumped as Cyborg walked in, he had caught them by surprise.

"Hey, Vic." Robin said relaxing. "Did everything go ok?"

"Yeah. S.T.A.R. Labs contained the Zynothium." Cyborg nodded. "And Adonis was taken into custody. The suit stayed in the lab, they wanted to take a look at its technology."

Robin was about to respond but was interrupted by the beeping of his communicator. He looked at it and frowned.

"Cyborg, mind finish up the tour for me? I gotta check something out." He commented.

"Sure, no problem." Cyborg shrugged. Robin quickly left.

Cyborg turned to the archer and found her still staring at the trophies.

"It was before the accident." He explained, drawing her attention. "I loved everything about sports back then. And I was **GOOD**." He grinned.

"You miss it?" She asked.

"Everyday." Cyborg smiled. "But if things were different, I'd miss being a Titan more."

Speedy nodded, not truly understanding but respecting the teen nonetheless.

"Here, I have something for you." Cyborg declared, walking off.

Curious, Speedy followed him into his room and found him opening a compartment and taking a red cylinder out of it. He handing it to her.

"What are…?" She started, before looking in: Arrows.

"They belonged to the first Speedy before he traded his arrows for his Arsenal identity. Roy wanted you to have them."

Speedy felt touched.

Cybrog smiled warmly. "Though he mentioned the magnesium flare ones were probably expired. And I have no idea which ones those are."

"These. With the glass bulbs on the end." Speedy said, masterfully picking out all the arrows of that kind in a second. "…Hey…"

She noticed another arrow, a blue one, and a kind she had never seen before.

"What's the blue one for?"

Cyborg shrugged, not knowing.

Then Robin's voice was once again heard, but through the entire Tower.

"Guys, come to the main room. You need to see this."

Cyborg and Speedy eyed each other in some confusion, and then followed their orders.

* * *

Adam sneaked walked into the Benjamin Franklin Institute, drawing as little attention to himself as possible. Many civilians were there as well, simply looking around. 

It might be a bad idea to do this on the middle of the afternoon, but Adam reasoned it would likely be a lot easier than at night, with all the alarm systems at maximum capacity.

He drew some curious glances from people as they took in his long, unusually colored hair and his just as uncommon eyes. But it could have been a lot worse. Adam had taken the time to get a rubber band and use it to contain his hair on a ponytail, so it didn't look as strange.

Though now he looked like a hippie, he thought with a sigh.

In any case, he took his time watching to the specific display he was looking for. A non-important one, what was important was the wall directly next to it. The wall that hid a hole he had covered to make it look as if it wasn't there. The solution to probably all his problems was inside.

He walked around in the exhibit until no one but him was around it. He then found the hiding place easily enough and punched through it, seeing no need for anything sophisticated as it probably was the last time he came here.

He took a quick look around, making sure he hadn't been noticed. He smiled when he realized he was safe.

Going back to the hole, he smiled at the three medium sized briefcases waiting for him inside. He grabbed a hold to one.

And it all went to hell.

Everyone in the museum tensed as dozens of police cars hastily came and parked in front of the building, accompanied by twice as many media vans.

Adam paled.

"…No…" Had he been found out? But how? Even if someone had seen him, how could the cops have gotten here so damn quick?

He tried to calm himself but could slowly feel panic increasing.

How? And why? Why was there so many media people here? Was he going to jail? What could he do?

"No… Nononononononoo…!" He panicked, backing away. He had to run. Get away. Hide and pay people off to keep themselves quiet…

_Like before._

A small cry of hysteria escaped his throat as he thought of having to do all of it again.

For once he truly had the right mindset to go through with suicide.

But then he sensed the warmth somewhere behind him.

And the light and searing hot pain struck him.

His screams were soon joined by everyone else's in the building.

* * *

"…_Mike Davis reporting live just Outside of the Franklin Institute." _The newsman was saying, his voice ten times as loud due to the stereo system in Titans Tower. "_We're still unsure exactly how many are injured just yet, but dozens are suffering from third degree burns. Others blinded. One security guard reported dead_." 

The Titans all grimaced at the last part.

"What's going on in there?" Scalpel asked, narrowing his eyes.

Robin signaled at him to keep quiet.

"_It was just thirty minutes ago that every news station in the city was contacted by an anonymous person, who then declared he would soon take control of the museum. He wanted every reporter and camera in the city here. Why? We're not…"_

Then there was a dim glow from the insides of the building.

"_Wait… There's a light… A bright… It's hot… Intense…"_

There was dozens of screams as the light burned anyone near the bulding.

"_It's…"_

And then the reporter's voice drowned out as the light diminished and disappeared. A figure stood by the doors.

He was male, seemed to be on his late forties, the goatee helping on the old appearance. He wore a white cape over a black body suit. Black boots, white gloves and a thick white belt made up the rest of his outfit. There was an insignia of a white sun on the middle of his chest.

Finally, he had a strange-looking, black and white helmet on.

"_My name is…_" He started.

The Titans gaped at him, they all knew who he was.

"_Arthur Light." _Dr. Light finished, with a smile.

"…What?" Beastboy asked, scowling.

"_Green Arrow is mine." _The good doctor continued and the screen zoomed out to reveal the Robin Hood themed hero, trapped by metal wires and being held into the statue of Benjamin Franklin sitting on a stone chair.

"Oh my god!" Speedy yelled in worry. "OLLIE!"

"_I want my reputation back." _Doctor Light said. "_I want the Teen Titans. And only them."_

Savior's eyes narrowed. There was something off with him. Something very wrong.

"_If anyone else outside the Titans shows, Green Arrow dies. Come. Face me."_

"Ollie…" Speedy whispered, looking at her trapped mentor.

"_Now."_

And then the screen went blank.

"NO!" Speedy cried.

There was a minute of silence as the Titans let what they had just seen sink in.

"Cyborg, prepare the T-jet." Robin finally said.

* * *

After the first attack, most of the civilians had evacuated. 

One hadn't.

Adam groaned, being in all fours, his eyes closed. He couldn't see straight. He could hardly see at all!

But his ears worked well enough. He had heard.

He knew.

"…You have got to be kidding me…" He growled, cursing his luck. He felt his way back to the spot where the hole was.

The Titans would be here soon.

How had someone as stupid as Doctor Light gotten the drop on him? Hell, on Green Arrow for that matter.

He didn't know.

But for now, he had to hide.

* * *

And somewhere else, away from all this madness, a girl with insanely long red hair stood happily. With numerous guns. 

"Pull."

The disk flew into the air.

_BANG! Bangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbang!_

The onslaught stopped and the disk fell to the ground. It had a single hole in its center. But the girl hadn't missed.

The bullets had all simply hit the exact same spot.

"Marvelous aim, Miss Reynolds." The elderly man said.

"Isn't it though?" The girl grinned. She then felt a vibration on her pants.

Reaching into her pockets, she seized a cell phone and answered the call. "Talk to me."

"I have a job." The male voice responded.

It was Bish's.

"Well mister, I don't do that kind of shit anymore, it stopped being fun."

"Adam Matthews."

The girl frowned. "Ain't he dead?"

"Not anymore."

There was a bit of silence.

Then the girl smiled excitedly. "Where can I find him?"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_For those who read the comic, there might be some familiarity in some of the scenes of this chapter, and you can guess where it is going._

_You are half right. There will be more similarities as this arc developed, but it won't be the same at the end. I gotta add a personal touch, after all._

_Just wait and see._


	5. Lights Out: Adustum luminarium

**Chapter 05: Adustum luminarium.**

"There's something wrong here."

Savior gazed at the main computer as Cyborg finished ending communications with a great number of superhero teams. The JSA, The Outsiders, even the Justice League among them.

Not five minutes have passed since Robin had given the order when they had called. All warning about Doctor Light. All offering help.

There was something very wrong here, alright.

"You think?" Cyborg asked. They had declined the offering, pointing out that if anyone outside the Titans was seen, Green Arrow would die.

"I was under the impression Flash never changed his mind about these things." Starfire commented. Wally West had been one of the ones calling in. He had very cryptically warned to be careful against light before disappearing.

"Then why's he doing a one-eighty?" Gauntlet asked, scratching his head. He didn't really saw what the big deal was, and neither did most of the other Titans.

And one was especially eager to leave.

"Well?"

They all turned to Speedy, whom still looked somewhat shy, but a lot more driven.

"What are we waiting for? We have to go! We have to help Ollie!"

Robin, like Savior, seemed to be wrestling with himself on this.

"What are we waiting for?" She repeated.

"We?" Savior asked.

Speedy turned to him.

"You are not going." Savior said simply.

"…What?" The archer asked.

"You are too green, you should stay back."

Speedy stared at him for a few seconds. She got angry. "TOO GREEN? This is my mentor we are talking about! It's HIS life on the line! I don't know what kind of problem you may have with me, but I AM NOT STAYING HERE! I'M HELPING!"

"No. You aren't." Savior glared at her, he was somewhat impressed when she didn't back down like most, but not enough. "Believe or not, I'm actually looking out for you."

"Savior." Beastboy interrupted, looking like he was trying to suppress a smile. "This is DOCTOR LIGHT we are talking about, not the Lord. She can handle it."

Savior cast a wry look at him.

"Clearly you weren't paying attention. Computer, play back last video footage."

Titans computer complied to the order and the image of Arthur Light once again appeared before them, calling them.

"Where's the bluster? The cockiness? The veneer over the inferiority complex?" The white titans asked, looking at his teammates, searching for approval. "Nowhere. Just calmed. Clipped. PRECISE. I don't know what happen, but that's not our Doctor Light."

Gauntlet frowned. "Are you saying we have a clone running around? N--Savior, that's way too cliché."

Savior abstained from slapping him.

"He did seem different." Cyborg nodded, having seriously listened to Noel.

"But he's Doctor Light!" Terra exclaimed, a little annoyed at how much the most paranoid member of the team was looking into this. "We beat him up twice a week, give me a break!"

Savior also seemed frustrated at how he didn't seem to be getting through most of his teammates. "Didn't ANY of you read my variant files? I spent three months on them!"

Truth was no one but Robin had. And even he had tried really hard not to fall sleep halfway through.

But that was not relevant right now.

"Oh, and did you notice that it was broad daylight out and yet most of the view was as murky as Victorian London?" He continued, not waiting for an answer. "Almost as if someone had sucked the light out of the room? Does that sound like something our old idiot friend Arthur would do?" Savior looked at his leader for support. "Tim, help me out here, surely you have your own observations."

Robin stared at him through his blank slits. True, he had noticed all this and more. And he had heard things. Things that didn't seem right to him, but that this development seem to prove.

"Something happened to Doctor Light." Raven said, when Robin failed to aid her boyfriend.

Robin remained quiet for a few more seconds. "There've been rumors throughout the super-villain community."

"The what?" They hang out too?" Gauntlet blinked. Images of slumber parties between the Joker and Lex Luthor already on his mind.

Good God, he is _twisted_.

"They do." Scalpel said, remembering something about a… Bar? Or a Café, maybe…?

"They talk about Doctor Light." Robin continued. "They say that he wasn't always a pathetic loser always getting kicked around by kids in Halloween costumes…" This earned him small glares. "Their words, not mine. According to them, Doctor Light was a psychopath, a real threat. And then he got… Fixed."

Speedy blinked. "Fixed? What does that mean?"

"He lost whatever made him 'efficient'." Robin simplified.

There was a short silence at the words.

"Does that mean…" Beastboy started, then switched gears. "Do you think the rumors are true?"

Robin didn't answer at first. "Batman didn't know anything about it."

"He _said _he didn't." Savior corrected, narrowing his eyes.

* * *

_Still blurry…_

Colors danced in his view, but at least he could see. Somewhat.

Adam moved from his hiding place, his ears alert seeing how his eyes weren't completely reliable.

_Temperature above average… Left arm… Stings a bit…_

There had been a lot of quiet since Light had given his order, but the blinking lights from the outside told him the police was still there.

He wasn't sure what to do aside from wait, and he just couldn't stay in one place for so long.

Especially after the small energy boost his body had managed to absorb from Light's attack.

Still it was _very_ small boost, and it wasn't worth the pain he had had (and still did) to endure to absorb it. It had mostly made him hyperactive rather than filling up his reserves.

_Scratch that… Every part of my body stings… More than a bit…_

His eyes cleared up enough for him to see that he had many first and second degree burns all over his back, which had taken most of the heat.

Probably why there had only been one death.

Not that Adam knew or cared as he gazed at the painful little bubbles.

_Goddamnit_… _What do I do now?_

Sighing, Adam sat back down, trying to come up with a proper plan.

* * *

"What does it matter? We have to go now! Any minute we waste, Ollie could die!" Speedy protested, having had enough of waiting.

"We've already established that you are not going, miss." Savior responded. Robin was about to say that nothing had been established when Savior continued. "And if you haven't noticed, you've now revealed Green Arrow's real name not once, but TWICE to us."

Speedy instantly fell silent. Yeah, she hadn't noticed that.

"Consider yourself lucky we already knew it." Savior continued. "Thanks to… Odd circumstances beyond our control." Odd meaning Robert had figured it out and blabbed to the team at the first chance he got.

Mia growled angrily. This guy was not just a simple asshole, he was the freaking Fred Fredburger with TWO hammers.

More evidence came when she attempted to speak again.

"You are not going." Savior interrupted.

Speedy exploded. "**_LIKE HELL I'M NOT! _**HE'S LIKE A FATHER TO ME! I AM NOT GOING TO WAIT HERE WHILE YOU GO OFF TO SAVE HIM! I AM MAKING SURE HE GETS BACK FINE AND HEALTHY AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT THEN KINDLY **_SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS!_**"

Savior blinked at the outburst while the rest of the Titans seemed taken aback at the kind of language Mia had used.

Starfire wanted to ask Robin how could a psychological problem like Savior's could be put inside his rectum, but Tim had his mind on other things.

Like the fact that when someone snapped at Savior, he snapped back.

Tenfold.

"THIS ISN'T SOME THUG ROBBING A 7/11!" Savior roared, and all the kids jumped back. "THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF THREAT YOU SHOULD BE DEALING WITH! YOU ARE NOT READY! THIS WHOLE DEBATE OVER THAT FACT PROVES THAT YOU AREN'T! YOU. ARE. A. CHILD! **AND I AM NOT HAVING YOU DIE ON _MY _WATCH!**"

Silence.

"My watch, Savior." Robin finally said, now annoyed.

"You know what I mean!"

Speedy wasn't convinced. "But…!"

"This isn't a vote, miss Dearden." Savior cut her off.

Robin took a step forward.

"Actually, now it is."

Both Savior and Speedy turned to him.

"…Tim, you can't be serious." Noel inquired.

"I am." Robin said. "Both of you have fair points as far as it goes. And we ARE wasting time. We'll decide this and then go to Philadelphia."

"Tim, she's still a rookie! We can't take that chance!" Savior growled.

Speedy glared at Savior. "You leave me here and I'll empty half my explosive arsenal on your personal belongings. Then I move to your weapons' vault."

"Like and immature child throwing a temper tantrum." Savior spat back. Then turned to Robin. "Point proven."

_Swish!_

Savior blinked as saw the arrow that was now on the ground. It had evaded a very sensitive part of him on purpose. Something told him that it hadn't missed by accident.

You could have heard a pin drop to the ground as Savior looked up at Speedy, his expression now very dangerous.

The girl didn't back down as she took another arrow and cocked it back.

The rest of the Titans all fell silent, not sure what to do.

Savior picked up the arrow encased in the ground and stared at it. "…DON'T do that again."

Then Speedy, perhaps proving Savior right in his opinion on her, fired again.

And then, in a blur of movements, Savior knocked both the bow and the arrow aside with two Shimmer strands. Speedy tried to recuperate from the assault but one of the strands wrapped around her waist and yanked her towards Savior, who was waiting for her with a Shimmer blade on his arm.

She was stopped suddenly, and the blade poked her jugular carefully, not actually cutting through.

"I'd loathe to fight one of my fellow heroes." Savior hissed. "But know that I can do it. Very, VERY well."

Speedy tried to free herself, but the grip was absolute, and she couldn't risk much movement with that knife on her neck, so what could…

"SAVIOR."

Noel turned to Robin, who had recovered from that surprise and was now very mad. "Stand down or consider yourself expelled from the Teen Titans."

Savior stared, and for a minute Speedy thought he couldn't care less about it, but then the grip loosened and she fell to the ground.

"That was uncalled for, Noel."

The voice echoed on his mind, not heard by anyone but him. He nodded at his girlfriend, acknowledging her words, but not completely.

"We are having a vote. NOW." Robin said.

Savior sighed. "I abstain in protest."

"…Very well." Robin nodded. Sometimes, Savior was more of a handful than Robert or Garfield.

"I know the result already anyway." Savior said. He turned to Speedy, not with anger, but with worried pity. "I hope I'm wrong, I TRULY do." Then he directed to the rest. "I wash my hands of it. It's on your heads."

And then he walked off the room.

"Asshole." Speedy commented, this time half-heartedly.

Robin sighed and turned to his team. "Let's vote guys. And…" He lowered his voice so Speedy wouldn't hear. "Take what Savior said into consideration when making your decision."

All nodded.

"I still say this is too much trouble just for Doc Light." Beastboy commented with a small smile. Most of his teammates nodded.

"That Savior guy is the biggest drama-queen ever." Speedy commented, not as nastily as it could have been.

"Comes with the Stu package." Gauntlet replied jokingly.

* * *

"_You know what this means, don't you, Dick?"_

"…_Yes."_

"_Well? What are we going to do? You don't plan on just sitting back and see how it goes, do ya?"_

"_No. But we need a plan. We can't barge in."_

"_I know… I'm worried about Mia. And I know you are worried about Tim."_

"_Heh… We are definitely going in, then?"_

"_Obviously._ _What's the plan?"_

"…_Call Garth."_

* * *

"…Well… This is… Strange…" Scalpel commented, as he jumped off the T-Jet.

It was barely three in the afternoon, yet the entire atmosphere around the Franklin Institute was dark as if it were night. And aside from the dim sirens from the police cars, it was disturbingly quiet as well. Though that was because Cyborg had had the authorities evacuate everyone within two blocks of the place.

The Titans looked around cautiously as they entered the museum. Savior would have worried that his bright costume would give away their position, but it was likely that Light had seen the T-Jet coming anyway.

"Stay close, guys." Robin ordered, taking the lead. The rest complied and huddled together, ready to unleash an assault if necessary.

Savior still didn't like the way this was developing… If only the team would at least take Light as the threat he seemed to be…

"Hey… If I get hurt, just let me take care of myself, okay?" The voice said behind him.

The man rolled his eyes and turned to Speedy. "No. You don't have to prove anything, you know. You are here, if you make it out alive, that should be enough."

He kept on walking. His assumptions had been right: The rest had allowed her to come. Let's hope it wasn't a mistake.

Beastboy's ear twitched as he heard the batting of mechanical wings, looking up to see numerous helicopters, but they weren't police choppers.

"Hey, what's with the news copters?" He asked.

Raven looked up at them. "He did say he wanted his reputation back."

"Pfft. Rep? He never had one." Gauntlet scoffed.

"…Yeah, Light's just trying to get attention." Beastboy agreed.

"Just keep your eyes open, Gar." Robin muttered, as they entered a particularly dark room.

"Welcome, Titans."

The teenagers froze, all readying themselves for attack. It didn't come.

"Light?" Cyborg asked, using his infrared scanners to try to find him.

"We are here. Show yourself." Starfire said, lighting a starbolt to help her see the man.

No avail. It was just too dark.

"What are you, a coward?" Terra mocked, even as the ground beneath of her began to loosen.

"Not anymore, Terra." Light responded, moving around the group unnoticed. "That was a long time ago. When my self-confidence and ego were transformed into that of a teenage girl."

Silence.

"**_HEY!_**" All the girls in the group complained.

Beastboy turned to them, grinning a bit.

And saw Arthur Light standing behind them. Glowing.

"The Justice League stole my dignity."

The boy tried to shout out a warning…

And then the gigantic wave of light and heat struck them all.

And as Raven crashed through glass and into a monument, she could feel no fear in Doctor Light.

Only joy.

Corrupted excitement.

**HATE.**

"So I'll steal yours." Light said.

* * *

"…What the hell was that?" Adam asked, uncovering his eyes. Unlike last time, he had seen the wave coming and covered his face. Luckily, he had been far away enough so that the heat didn't reach him this time.

Light was over there, he reasoned. And he was fighting.

The Titans? Had the Titans gotten here already? How long had they been here?

After finally accepting he wasn't getting out until this all died down, Adam had hidden the money back in its hole, then he had wandered around, in case he could find some way to get out of this soon-to-be hellhole.

"It's definitely not _that _way." Adam muttered, turning around and walking the other way.

Sirens still flared outside, he saw. Maybe there no point in even looking for an escape route: Even if he found one, it would have cops all around it.

He did not want to explain what he was doing here.

Before long, he found himself before a big, wooden door. The main entrance.

"Excellent strategy, Matthews." Adam growled. "Oh, sure, let's go out the front door! Surely I won't find myself in front of a ridiculous amount of armed men who'll barrage me with bullets. BLOODY BRILLIANT."

His eyes widened as he heard the groan behind him.

He swirled, arms ready in case self-defense was needed… And found himself staring at the tired body of Green Arrow.

"Who… Who's there?" The man asked weakly, his eyes opening. He was still trapped in the Benjamin Franklin statue, like he had been when Light had left him to face the children.

Adam blinked a couple of times, his muscles relaxing. He had heard that Green Arrow was as good as they come in human standards, but as weak as he looked, he didn't seem threatening. Especially if Arthur Light of all people had done this to him.

In the end, he still took some caution when he approached. "Green… Er… Mister Arrow?"

Oliver Queen's eyes tried to focus on the teen before him, and as blurry as the image was, he knew this one was a stranger to him.

"Are you… A Titan?"

Adam was taken aback by this. "Uh… No… I was… Er… Forced to stay inside when… This happened. Mister Arrow, are you ok?"

He reached out to one of the hero's restraints as he spoke.

"No… Wait…"

Stopping, the teen looked up to see the man staring at him intently.

"…Find the kids…" Green Arrow growled. "Warn them… Tell them not to fight Light…"

Adam thought he seemed delirious as he started bending one of the metal wires holding him captive. "Look, don't worry, I'll get you to safety. The Titans are already here, they'll take care of Light. After me, that joke shouldn't be much…"

"No…" Oliver whispered, fighting to remain conscious. "…He is not an easy opponent… He… He remembers… What happened…"

Adam paused, his eyes confused. "Remember? What does he remember?"

Green Arrow didn't respond at first. "I didn't want her to do it… I tried to convince the others it wasn't necessary… But… I consented it in the end."

The other wasn't really paying attention, he was still working of getting through the metallic wires: There were many more than he had originally thought.

"But now… He remembers…" Arrow muttered. "…Tell those kids to get out… Doctor light… He…"

Adam looked up and was alarmed to see the man's eyes closing. "Hey! Stay with me! Are you ok? Can you hear me?"

"…He isn't a joke anymore…" Green Arrow mumbled, and then closed his eyes.

"HEY!" Adam cried, slapping him softly a couple of times. He sighed in relief when he saw he was still breathing: He was simply unconscious.

"…Don't scare me like that…" Adam growled. He stared as Green Arrow's face for a couple of seconds.

All that stuff he had been saying about Light… Had he been delirious? Or…?

He stood there, thinking. Not sure whether to follow the man's orders or not.

"…It's not my problem." He finally said, though his conscience screamed at him because of it.

He ignored it. Besides, there's not much of a threat in the skinny old guy who can make stuff look brighter.

"Green Arrow's delirious." Adam said firmly.

Not knowing what to do, and afraid that moving his unconscious body might cause complications, Adam sat down next to him. Nothing left to do but wait.

"…He has to be."

* * *

Robin's head rattled as he fought for control.

Being the Batman's apprentice, he had handled the attack better: The lenses on his mask had caught most of the flare, he could still see. Somewhat.

The rests of the teens had not been so lucky. Most were temporally blind.

"My children. Let me tell you a secret."

Though incapable of actually seeing him, the Titans all had heard the voice and turned towards the source. Starfire lighted up a starbolt, trying to make out which one of the silhouettes was the enemy.

Light was soon surrounded.

"You are better than the Justice League." He continued. He didn't seem to notice the children's slow approach.

With his cape warped around his body like it was, Robin saw a distinct resemblance between him and his mentor.

Savior had been right.

This was not the same Doctor Light.

"I'm not talking about powers or abilities. I'm talking about morals. You look up to false hero… **_Hnn!_**"

Light's declaration was cut short as an arrow pierced his forearm.

"Nice shot." Scalpel complimented as he rubbing his eyes. His eyes were more sensitive to light than human's, so the flare had been especially hard on him.

"Not really, I was aiming lower." Speedy hissed, reloading. "Still seeing spots."

"Huh. I don't hear any crying over the booboo. Are you sure this is Doc?" Beastboy asked mockingly, getting out from the rubble.

Gauntlet laughed a bit. "Now, Beastboy. Be nice. Lil' old Arthur is trying to be a big boy!"

Savior glared at the two for a second as the shimmer formed lenses similar to Robin's around his eyes. This was not the time. He turned back to Light, trying to thinking of a plan.

He wasn't there.

"Keep talking."

He was in front of Gauntlet.

"Let me get close enough." Light continued, looking into the teen's eyes.

And then the ground beneath Gauntlet exploded, a gigantic geyser of light erupting from it, consuming the hero. He didn't even have the time to scream.

Seconds later, Gauntlet crashed back into the ground, his clothes ruined and his body burned.

He didn't move.

The Titans stared at the scene in horror for a few moments. Then back at Light.

The man scoffed. "Surely you don't think I can't create masterful illusions, do you? Say, like a convincing looking copy of myself, babbling on and on while the real me sneaked upon my victims?"

"But… But I shot you!" Speedy suddenly cried.

"Did you see blood come out?"

Silence. It suddenly became possible to the Titans that Light could solidify his illusions.

Light stretched out his hand, almost as if calling them. "Well, my children?"

Robin whipped out his staff. "Titans, GO!"

The 'children' all charged, fueled by the anger of seeing a teammate fall.

"Why didn't his shield protect him?" Terra demanded as she rushed in on a rock, glancing at the unconscious (she hoped) boy.

"The artifact was not activated." Starfire hissed in fury.

"Why that hell not?"

And then Savior jumped over them, covering the distance between himself and light before the others.

"He didn't think he'd need it." He replied grimly. Shimmer strands exploded from each of his arms, forming gigantic bludgeons.

He brought them down on the man with as much strength as possible.

…The mallets phased right through Light.

The Titans stopped dead.

"Have you learned nothing?" The illusion asked.

They all felt the warmth behind them.

"SCATTER!" Robin cried.

The team complied just as another light blast avoided them.

This last attack had been powerful; it pierced right through the wall and kept going with ease. It had been designed to kill them.

"ARGH! My systems are going crazy, I can't pinpoint him!" Cyborg informed. He armed his sonic canon even as he frantically searched.

A hand pressed against his back.

"How much energy can you take before you overload?"

_FSST!_

"**ARGGGGGGHHH!**" Cyborg screamed, vast amounts of energy forcing themselves into his systems, burning them out.

He shut down within three seconds.

"CYBORG!" Scalpel cried as he finally managed to get a good look at their attacker.

"Just that?" Light asked, watching the metallic hybrid fall. "Pfft. Lightweight."

Scalpel cursed in blacktranian as he jumped at Light, glaive at hand.

Bad idea: His opponent raised a finger and fired a line of heavily concentrated light. It tore through Nigel's heart.

It was a good thing he had two.

Nevertheless, he fell with a grunt. It took him a while before he starting coughing up the blood.

"You are alive." Light said, somewhat surprised. He didn't know blacktranian anatomy. "…But you are certainly not looking healthy, Scalpel."

"Nngg… Neither will you!" The exiled warrior roared and lashed out at Light.

More bad ideas.

"ARGH!" Scalpel cried, as he was thrown back by a considerably larger light beam, though thankfully not as heavily concentrated. His old wound reopened and he spat alarming amounts of blood.

Light soon noticed the hissing and he glanced at the ground. His eyes widened slightly at the sight: The blood was eating away the ground.

Blacktranian facts 101: Blacktranian blood has the same properties as Napalm.

"You are an interesting one." Light commented, watching Scalpel try to fight off the pain. "But I've seen wor… **Agh**…"

One of the teens had finally managed to get her hands on Light. Ironically, it was the less experienced one.

Speedy reloaded as the man who held her mentor captive force the arrow sticking on his shoulder off.

"Speedy." Light glared.

"Where's Green Arrow?" Speedy demanded, aiming for the heart. "If you hurt him I s…!"

WRONG choice of words.

The girl's words were cut short as dangerous amounts of light exploded from the villain's hands.

"If I hurt him, Speedy?" Light asked, the calm he had maintained throughout the fight now gone. "**IF _I _HURT _HIM!_**"

He fired the most powerful attack of the day.

Speedy yelped and fired her arrow. It melted four inches before it even reached the blast. And wasting her time firing, she couldn't dodge.

"MOVE, KID!"

Savior jumped out of nowhere and pushed her off the way.

New problem: Now SAVIOR was the one about to be burned to ashes.

But the white-haired Titan was more experienced as he instantly formed a shield, reinforced it, and reinforced the reinforce.

He was still forced back at impact.

The lenses on his eyes disappeared, becoming padding for the shield. He could almost hear the hissing sounds coming from the shimmer.

And then… It finally stopped.

Savior fell to his knees, blood rushing from his nose, and retracted the shield.

And revealed Light's extended hand right behind it.

_FLASH._

"AHHHH!" Noel cried, clawing at his eyes and the completely burned retina in them. "Ahh…"

"I expected better from the tactical one." Light said, aiming at Savior again.

"**_LET HIM GO!_**"

Light turned at the voice and found himself engulfed and thrown back by what seemed to be a living shadow.

"Savior?" Raven asked, appearing from the shadows, letting that fragment of her soul-self deal with Light. The chaotic emotions from her teammates had rattled her and stopped her from fighting for a while. It had gone from amusement to true fear and shock and disbelief in matter of seconds.

And Light's hate. Such strong hate…

And then she had felt pain from someone very close to her, a lot closer than any of the others. And reacted accordingly.

"Raven…?" Savior asked, his head moving towards the sound.

Raven gasped as she saw the milky white that reigned her boyfriend's eyes.

He was blind.

"Oh god… Savior… Oh Noel…" Raven lamented, taking him into her grasp in sadness.

And then she screamed as burning light pierced through her soul-self, vaporizing it.

She fell next to Noel. The teen felt through the ground until he found her face.

"Raven? RAVEN?"

"I never did like the dark." Light commented.

Savior turned around, ready to rip his head off, blind or not.

And then he was sent into oblivion as Doctor Light's boot collided with Noel's face.

It was a rare sight to see Arthur Light use physical force instead of his technology. But he used it with the ones he truly disliked.

Light stared at his wreckage with some amusement.

That is, before the large rock crashed against his stomach, lifting him off the ground painfully.

He was swung for a while before dropped before the last six survivors. Robin, Starfire, Speedy, Terra, Beastboy and a seriously rattled Scalpel glared at the man as he struggled to his feet.

"You bastard." Robin whipped out his staff and attacked.

Light managed to evade, but the back kick that came after the swing got him in the neck.

"Same freaking goatee." Alligator-Beastboy growled jumping into action and sinking its teeth into Light chest. "You should have gotten a make over to go along with the new attitude."

Light screamed under the pressure but was soon thrown into the air.

Where he collapsed against a recently made floating wall. A wall Starfire crashed through and then dived to the ground.

"You should have not harmed our friends."

"ARGH!" Light cried out this time, finally feeling some pain out of this fight.

The Titans took pride in that.

But it didn't last.

A starbolt, rock bludgeon and exploding disk were fired.

And then Light fired his own wave of light.

Both sides collided and the only harmful effect had was the shockwave.

"ENOUGH."

And then the Titans were blind.

"Wha?" Robin asked, seeing only black.

It hadn't been like Noel, no flash had destroyed their sight. It had just… gone away.

"Amazing what can be done by simply sucking away the light on your eyes, isn't it?"

Robin growled. "Star. Stay close."

"Don't bother. Picking you off will be easy now. You can attack if you want. But what's to say you won't hit an ally?"

There was silence after that.

Robin tried to focus his ears to detect any sounds to pinpoint Light's whereabouts.

He got what he wanted.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"One down."

"TERRA!" Beastboy cried.

_**FSSSST!**_

"I'm sorry, I meant two."

Robin cursed under his breath.

It was unknown to him, but Light was right behind him. The man reached down towards his neck.

And then the clawed hand seized him.

"I can hear you." Scalpel hissed.

Light didn't have the time to counter as he was thrown across the room.

"Get away from them!" Scalpel roared, jumping into action. Sight or not, he was still a damn good warrior.

Something Light didn't seem to care for as worry crept into his feature for the first time. He evaded Scalpel's first strike, but he saw it crush the ground effortlessly.

Cursing, he tried to get away, but Scalpel grabbed his ankle and threw him yonder.

"STOP!" Light ordered, firing a blast.

Scalpel managed to avoid it in time and kept going, even as his own blood from his wounds fell to the ground.

Light paused noticing the blood. And he smirked.

"HAH!" Nigel roared, swinging his arm.

Light ducked under it and grabbed his shoulder.

Scalpel got ready to attack…

And then he felt heat.

"Tell me, how much light-induced heat can you take before that marvelous blood of yours combusts?"

Nigel tried to scream.

And then his body caught fire.

The blacktranian swirled in his very own inferno, trying to ease his suffering. He trashed, screamed, ANYTHING he could think of.

And all the while Light charged. The Titans could see once again.

And the shock and horror of seeing their teammate in fire would not last.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH…!" Nigel cried in agony, now falling to the ground.

"…HELP HIM!" Robin cried, finally shaking himself out of shock.

"My children."

All turned to the voice. Light smirked arrogantly as he reached the peak necessary for his attack.

"**SUFFER.**"

And then a dome like blast escaped from Light's body, consuming anything and everything around him.

It took 6 seconds for it to dissipate. And when it did, no Titan was left standing.

None of them could take a blast of that magnitude, Light knew that.

That's why he had used it to begin with.

He walked past Nigel, whose body was badly burned, but the flames had died out after impact with the last attack. He walked past all of the fallen teens.

And stopped in front of one.

"Speedy." Light said.

Then he grabbed her ankle.

"Come."

* * *

Light arrived soon enough.

He was a very well-mannered one when it was convenient for him. Now it wasn't.

He threw Speedy's body towards the statue without much trouble, the girl still unconscious. For a moment, he glared at Green Arrow.

"I wish you were awake."

He walked towards Speedy, his hands glowing already. "I wanted you to watch her burn…"

He raised both hands towards the small frame of the girl.

"You know, I've been wondering." Light commented. "Who else did you do this to? Was it only villains? Or other heroes too?"

He knew the man did not hear him, but Light felt compelled to say it either way.

"Maybe this is how you kept your kids in check. How to make them obey." Light growled. Enough talking. "If that's the case, then I'm suppose I'm this one's liberator."

The man reached down for the kill.

And screamed as a golden energy release collided to his side, throwing him against the wall.

Adam walked out of the darkness of his hiding place. He had heard the fight end. He had heard him approach. And he had hidden.

He was going to wait until Light left to find some way to escape… But then he had seen what he was about to do.

And his plans changed.

"…I am such an _idiot_." Adam growled at himself, and then ran towards the unconscious Speedy.

_I could have gotten away, damnit. IDIOT! DAMNIT!_

He checked on the girl and saw that he hadn't been too late. That made him feel a little better. But not much. Now he needed an excuse for being here.

"Well… Might as well get you out of here. Both of you." He muttered, glancing at Green Arrow.

"Boy."

Adam's eyes widened as he turned around quickly, his arms glowing. No way, he should not be awake, it was DOCTOR LIGHT, goddamnit.

Then again, he shouldn't have been able to beat the Titans either.

"Please." Arthur Light said.

And then the energy escaped from the man's fingers, going past Adam and towards all the exits. It sealed them in no time.

"Stay a while."

The teen worried, realizing he was trapped. He started backing away uncertainly.

"Now…" Light continued, dusting himself off while approaching. "You are not a Titan. So tell me who you are."

Adam gritted his teeth as he forced himself not to back away anymore. "I'm… Ad--Metatron." He hissed, despising the name. But it was better than giving this maniac his real name. He took a step forward instead and the energy in his hands flared. "Don't get any closer or I burn your face off."

Light stopped, then smirked. "Tell me, what are those interesting golden flames of yours made of?"

He didn't stop, he sped up his pace.

Adam growled, pulling both arms back. "Here, why don't you find out?"

Both blasts flew true at Light… And then they stopped inches from his face.

Adam gapped.

"Ah." Light nodded, marveling upon the still energy blasts as if they were gold. "Light."

Both energy orbs suddenly started braking down, their essence ripped apart and split into barely visible fragments… And it all went into Light. Feeding him its energy.

And all the while Adam stared with widened eyes. So much for distanced fight.

"That isn't going to work for you…" Light advised as he finished absorbing the energy. "…Metatron, was it?"

Adam's eyes flashed and he growled angrily. "THAT'S NOT ALL I GOT!"

He charged as fast as he could go, which was pretty damn fast.

But as surprised as Light was by his speeds, he recovered quickly enough, and joined his hands.

Adam didn't notice the glow until it was too late.

And then he was blown against the wall, the gigantic range of Light's attack digging furiously into his chest.

It didn't feel any better when it stopped.

"I'm not impressed." Light said simply.

Adam moaned as he slid to his knees, clenching his chest in pain. "Nngg…" He did not want to admit how hard he was biting back the tears. _That had **hurt**_.

Light raised an eyebrow at the fallen teen. "Well, this is odd. Most heroes I've seen have more balls than that."

"SHUT. UP." Adam hissed, throwing another energy orb.

It suffered the same fate as the previous ones.

"Now, really…"

And then Adam appeared from behind the blast, swinging a fist.

_CRACK!_

"ACK!" Light staggered back, holding his nose. The warmth of blood was felt, and that angered him. "**DIE!**"

Adam yelped and rolled out of the attack's range. "Tried it, didn't **stick**!" He said the last word at the same time as he slashed his hand.

Which now had claws.

"**RRRNN!**" Light growled, his costume had a tear across the chest and had barely prevented the sharp claws from digging into the flesh. He wasn't angry anymore. He was furious.

Hence why the ground beneath Adam started melting.

"…What?"

Unlike Gauntlet, he saw it coming.

And it didn't make a damn difference.

"**_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…!"_** Adam cried, as the ground exploded beneath him, making way for a tower of light that pushed him upwards and encased him into the ceiling, making his life painful all the way.

When it stopped, his body came crashing down.

Light stared at it for a few seconds before it stirred.

Adam weakly forced himself into all fours, then began coughing blood. Light approached.

"…Stay… S-stay away… From me…" Adam hissed.

"…No, I don't think I'll be doing that, Metatron." Light said, and continued his stalk.

"**_STAY AWAY!_**" Adam roared, and fired so many blasts that when he finally stopped the assault it was because he felt light-headed from the energy spent into them.

And they all still stopped before reaching Light.

Adam paled.

But Light didn't absorb it. Instead, he joined them together, forming a massive one.

"This is yours, I believe." Light motioned.

And then the gigantic energy orb flew at Adam at high speed.

He managed to avoid it in time, but the blast still reached the wall. The gigantic explosion that resulted sent him flying, before falling on his face.

"…Ahhh…" He groaned, trying to get up.

He found Light standing in front of him.

"**NO!**" Adam roared, punching the man.

…He phased right through him.

"…Wha?" Adam asked. Another illusion.

Then he saw Light standing in front of him.

And behind him.

And to his sides.

There were a grand total of eight Lights surrounding him.

All charging.

"…What?" Adam repeated, still confused.

But he still felt the heat coming from them.

And he instantly panicked.

_Run._

They all aimed.

_**RUN!**_

Adam complied at the same time the attacks were fired.

He wasn't quick enough.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_**"

* * *

"Tim?"

Robin shifted in the dirt, looking up to the voice. The man in black stared back at him with worried, blank eyes. "D… Di…"

"Don't worry." He said with a relieved smile. "We are here to help."

"…We?"

Now the smile became a happy one as the man stretched out a hand to help Robin up.

"Yes. We. Titans forever, right?"

Robin stared at him before smirking. "Right."

He took the hand.

* * *

Light was somewhat surprised.

Metatron, as the kid had called himself, remained on the ground, whimpering in pain. It was like watching a dog lick his wounds.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the sight, but… He was still alive.

It bothered him, he didn't think any human nor many metahumans could take that sort of punishment and come out alive.

Had he known Adam's body had the ability to (painfully) absorb heat and transform it into energy, hence making him somewhat more resistant to it, he might have not been so confused.

"…Ah…" Adam groaned, spitting blood as he sat up.

Light grabbed him by the mane that was his hair. "Hmm… You are not a hero, seeing as you don't cling to your pride like all the others. So what are you doing in here, child?"

"…Let me… Let me go…" Adam begged.

"Answer."

"**Let go of me!**"

_CRACK!_

"Uff!" Adam groaned, falling on his back.

Light shook his hand a bit after the hit. "That was for my nose, child."

His eyes narrowed when he saw Adam was crawling away.

"At least have some decency, kid."

And then Adam swirled around on the spot, his hands cackling. "**_LEAVE ME ALONE!_**"

And then all the heat he had been able to absorb by Light's attack roared out in a stream of golden fire.

It consumed Light.

And drained Adam.

He didn't care. He got up.

He ran.

He wanted to survive.

It took about five seconds after Adam left the room for Light to come out of the wreckage left from the attack, his body glowing from the energy it absorbed. He stared at his hands for a while.

"Hmm."

He liked what he saw. A quick glance to Speedy and Green Arrow told him they wouldn't wake up for a while yet.

But Adam was awake.

Light sort of like the feeling of the hunt.

So hunt he did.

* * *

_Run._

"ARGH!" Adam screamed, making his way through a wall. He dislocated his shoulder from the unnecessary effort.

Strange thing was that he didn't notice.

_Stay ALIVE._

"Where's the exit? Where's the exit? _Where's the fucking exit?_" He hissed, looking around. Many things have been lost in his drive to escape.

Such as his money.

And the fact that the place was still surrounded by cops.

_**KEEP GOING.**_

Where those footsteps?

No… No, just the wind.

_**WHY ARE YOU WASTING TIME?**_

"I don't wanna die…" Adam muttered crazily. He had no idea why he felt the need to say that: He was, after all, alone.

However, it had become obvious he wasn't thinking clearly.

More proof came when he tripped over his feet.

"DAMNIT!" He yelled, forcing himself up and continued his escape.

_Why do I feel this way? Why am I so scared?_

He looked out through a ruined window. Cops. Eveywhere.

"FUCK!" He cursed and kept going.

_Why am I panicking so easily? I've never felt this scared before! _

_**YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD DIE BEFORE.**_

He paused, looking over his shoulder.

That noise… It _had _been the wind…

Right?

**_THE TITANS?_** **_SURE, THEY COULD TAKE YOU. BUT THEY WOULDN'T KILL YOU. THEY WERE HEROES._**

"Shut up." Adam growled at himself. The words still rung in his head. "Shutupshutupshutupshutup!"

**_SLADE?_** **_YOU WERE TOO ANGERED TO CARE._**

Adam blew the living hell out of a statue that scared him as he turned around a corner.

**_AND EVERYONE ELSE?_** **_YOU JUST DIDN'T THINK THEY COULD._**

…Was that true?

Did that meant Adam was nothing more than a coward?

…Yes.

He didn't care what people thought of him or what this would imply about his life. He was a coward.

_I don't want to die…_

Nothing more to it.

_Not again…_

"Not again…"

_**THEN RUN, BOY.**_

He opened a door. And the light engulfed him as he did.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Adam screamed, flying across the room.

"Talking to yourself. Clear sign of insanity." Light commented. He shortened the distance between himself and the teen rather hastily.

"…No…" Adam whispered, getting up shakily.

"You are an odd one." Light said, staring at him seriously. Adam attempted a punch, but weakened as he was, Light simply sidestepped. "You have no desire to save anyone, and were just simply overwhelmed by your conscience for a moment. You seem very worthless in my eyes, boy. And probably would on the eyes of many."

Adam didn't even glared, he was frantically searching for a way to escape.

"But…" Light continued, studying Adam intently. "There _is _something valuable inside you, 'Metatron'. I can see it all around you, and I can weave it like a spider weaves his web."

He approached Adam slowly. The kid tried to back away, but his back pressed against a wall.

"W-what… What are you talking…?"

"Light." The man said, forcefully grabbing Adam's wrist. He tried to fight him off with his other hand, only to have it seized as well. "Your strange golden flames, Metatron. Let me see them."

Adam seemed confused before he noticed what was left of his energy quickly rushing to his hands.

Doctor Light smiled. "_Give them to me._"

And then the pain finally struck him.

It was ten times worse than the blasts.

Adam's eyes dilated as he screamed in horrible pain. He trashed, screamed, squirmed, ANYTHING to free himself. But his strength had quickly left him.

It was taking away his body heat. The source of his powers.

It was FREEZING HIM.

"**_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!_** **_STOP IT! STOP IT! STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT! STOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPP!"_** Adam begged, burning out his throat. It was the only part of him that remained warm.

And all the while, Light simply stared.

Eventually, he did stop. And Adam fell to the ground, shivering violently.

The kid kept shaking even as he hugged himself, fear on his eyes.

He felt like he was covered in ice. He knew his skin was horribly pale. He knew what cold did to him.

He was dying.

* * *

Huh.

Doctor Light marveled on the golden orb floating above his hand. It had a reasonable amount of power alright, more than he thought he would get from the broken child at his feet.

That was another thing, the boy looked… Well, dead. Or close to it anyway. The light he had taken from him, it seemed it was kept him alive. Light stared at the shivering pale-blue boy who had since the draining gone into fetal position.

He would be dead in minutes.

Light shrugged and started to leave.

Before the wall exploded behind him.

"LIGHT!"

The madman blinked a couple of times and stared at the group glaring at him.

The Teen Titans. Cyborg, Savior and Scalpel notably absent.

The Titans East. Bumblebee, Speedy, Aqualad and Mas y Menos all ready and willing.

And finally, the founders: Nightwing, Tempest and Arsenal. The only ones missing were the Flash and Troia, one because of his Justice League duties, and the other one's reasons were obvious.

Still, they were an army.

"You wanted the Titans?" Nightwing barked.

"You got 'em." Robin growled.

Some of the people attempted to glare him down felt a small sting of fear when Doctor Light didn't back down.

He smirked instead. "Well?" The heroes seemed confused as the man turned to the one who started it all. "What are you waiting for, Nightwing? You **_know _**you are dying to say it."

Nightwing gritted his teeth furiously. But he found it fitting.

"TITANS!" He called. Everyone turned to him for orders, it felt natural for them. "**TOGETHER!**"

He charged.

And the wave of heroes followed close behind him.

It was a whole new battle now.

And all the while, Doctor Light simply smiled.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_God, this chapter took too long to write…_

_Anyone else thinks I'm being too cruel to the Titans? I do. In any case, I hope you liked it. See ya next chapter._


End file.
